Map of Naches Peak Ski Tour

Moderate: 4.0 miles, Half day

Overview: The Chinook Pass area offers excellent spring and summer ski touring after the road access on Hwy 410 is established in the late spring. It is possible to access the area early in the winter during some seasons but the limited snow coverage affects route choices significantly. Several tours are possible but the longest runs are found on Naches Peak which is on the southeast side of the highway. The area north of the Pass behind Yakima Peak has some short runs to the north and south off the Yakima Peak ridges. It is possible to ski a traverse to the Crystal Mountain Ski Area to the Northeast. Such a traverse should only be attempted during the late spring or summer when the snow is fully consolidated due to numerous avalanche hazard areas when the snow is not consolidated during the winter.

A complete video guide is available on Amazon's Instant Video - see the link in the Resources Box below.

Tips: Essential back-country touring gear. Beacons, snow shovel and probe, plus the ten essentials. Best done during the spring when the snow is deep and consolidated. Full HD maps can be found at www.drtelemark.com - see link below.