Eagle Creek Ski Tour

Published on 2003-12-27 by Michael Stanton

Eagle Creek Skiing, December 27, 2003

This is the Eagle Creek near Eagle Rock, Townsend Mountain, and Eagle Lake, the region bordered on the west by Baring and Merchant peaks. I skied up the Forest Service Road, able to drive to 1 mile past switchbacks, at 2400 feet. Once in the Eagle Creek valley, the snow became deep. I made it 4.5 miles in to just below a ridgetop at 3800 feet, because I was tired as could be. I did see Baring Peak and Merchant Peak, with dark clouds behind them. Despite a forecast for storm today, I was in the sun for long periods. The views were pretty broad and open in this valley. With more time or better snow, it would be great to continue to Eagle Lake. Now that I'm home looking at a map, I see I would have gone through a "Paradise Meadow" to get there. That knowledge might have been enough inspiration to keep me going! The trip down had some gliding, but the angle just wasn't steep enough to feel like I was really skiing. Hurry and use the tracks before they are gone! 3 hours up, 1.5 hours down.