Cache Couloir and Thunder Peak Ski Tour
Thought I should post a bit about my personal ski tours, intending to stir your imagination.
In this first episode, I go for a solo ski tour to check out the historically huge avalanche that swept over an “island of safety”, then get to ski two awesome lines before making it back out to join friends for beers.
In preparation for a Saturday Ski Pass, I decided to tickle a scratch and ski the reverse of the Thumb Couloir in Chair Basin, the Cache Couloir. Enroute, I was able to see the massive cornice hanging over the Northeast Face of Bryant Peak and the historic avalanche that ripped wall-to-wall across Chair Basin, running over the Source Lake hill at its end.
Cache Couloir was amazing - good (not awesome) snow and a steady, steep, pitch for its entire 800’ length to Snow Lake.
I had time to spare, and thought the snow on Thunder Peak (aka Avalanche Peak*), might have softened up nicely in the sun, so I followed an old skin track and reached the top of the biggest clearing. Reward!
Then it was an easy skin to the snow lake divide and out. Not bad for a 5-hour tour!
*Thunder versus Avalanche Peak: 11 years ago, this peak was unnamed on any map, and the local ski guides (including me) called it “Thunder Peak” because it climbs above the Thunder Creek basin and valley. We needed to call it something to simplify describing our tours to other guides.
Once I ran into an old salty telemarker at its bottom, who said it was called Jake’s Peak. I wondered out loud how it got named that. “Because I’m Jake,” the old salt said, “so I named it after myself.”
When smartphones and CalTopo arrived, it suddenly was named “Avalanche Peak” on one of the map sets available. I have no idea where this naming came from - if you do, please comment or email me! - Chris