My North Cascades Story - Skiing in Hi-Definition

Skiing in Hi-Definition

By Mark Langley

After a long, dark, dreary, Western Washington winter (and spring), Memorial Day weekend represents the promise of the coming summer: barbecues, picnics, and if we're lucky there maybe even some sunshine. It is also frequently my biggest ski weekend of the season. See, I am a backcountry skier, and some of the finest backcountry skiing – and most spectacular scenery – anywhere can be found in the North Cascades in the spring. When the skies clear, the views of the peaks, ridges, and valleys of the North Cascades are dramatically defined by white snow, dark rock, and luscious spring green. This is true hi-def.

My ski adventures can also be loosely termed “work.” My partners and I are members of Cascade Backcountry Ski Patrol, an all National Ski Patrol group volunteering for the US Forest Service, patrolling winter recreation land outside developed ski areas. For most of the winter we patrol nordic trails, roads, and mountain terrain near Snoqualmie and Stevens passes. When the North Cascades Highway opens in the spring we patrol around Rainy and Washington passes. We don't have snowmobiles or warming huts. We do we have extensive training in outdoor first-aid; avalanche and mountain travel safety; and we are available to assist in case of an emergency.

In addition to serving outdoor winter recreationists when needed, we also collect data for the Forest Service, which they can use to help protect the areas we recreate in. We report numbers of cars at trailheads, types of users, snow and trail conditions, etc. The data can then be used by the ranger districts to help determine where to distribute their shrinking recreation resources.

With a young family at home I don't get out as often as I would like, so I like to make the experience count. The confluence of spectacular places, exercise, volunteering, and the occasional adrenaline rush is a tonic for my mind, body, and soul. Spring skiing provides more daylight, better weather (hopefully), and quicker access to some truly spectacular places, especially in areas like the Teanaway and the North Cascades Highway. Of course, it doesn't always work out as planned - I've been snowed on in June -  but when it's a bluebird day and the snow is just right, there is no way you'd want to be anywhere else.