Sally Portman's Birthday Tour - Washington Pass, May 2003
Scott, Jerry and I were in need of some turns. Now that the North Cascades Highway has opened completely, the time was ripe to explore the slopes around Washington Pass. After yet another night of not enough sleep, Jerry and I rendezvoused at Scott's house in preparation for the 2.5 to 3 hour drive over to the Blue Lake Trailhead at Washington Pass. The snow was firm and crusty that morning on the ascent from the trailhead, but the sun would change all that in a few short hours. On our way up, we encountered a couple North Cascades Heli (NCH) employees carrying large flagged wooden posts. We soon learned these were helicopter landing markers and that winter/spring operations for NCH had come to an end.
From Copper Pass near the end of the tour, we skied/boarded all the way down to the Hairpin Turn and Scott bummed a ride back up to the trailhead to retrieve his car. A nice easy tour, covering some fun terrain. Recommend checking it out immediately after the highway opens.
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