A Guide to Backcountry Skiing Near Seattle
1. Snoqualmie Pass
2. Steven’s pass
3. Crystal Mountain
4. Kulshan / baker
Seattle may not have the same access to life changing backcountry skiing as living in a mountain town, but as far as living in a big city it’s hard to beat. There’s something beautiful and spiritually nourishing about being tucked between the ocean and the mountains… the lineage of the water cycle feels more vivid. Driving from the ocean to ski snow that will so clearly melt into that very same ocean is a beautiful thing.
But, less poetry, more details.
What follows are the best ski tours within a reasonable drive from Seattle. What’s reasonable? 2 hours one way by my feeling. This won’t be some tell all with all the secret stashes. Intentionally, the routes included have plenty of easily findable info to help you plan your tour, but my hope is that you can use this resource as a way to get started.
I want to take a moment to say two things in a meaningful non-swept-under-the-rug way: backcountry skiing is dangerous, and all these venues have avalanche hazard. Please respect the mountains and don’t go out with some proper education or with friends you deeply trust who have proper education. Most avalanche fatalities happen due to communication struggles within the group: go with people you can be real with. All of these areas have awesome “sidecountry” access possibilities. It’s sweet to be able to use lifts and save the legs, but remember that just because it’s close to the resort doesn’t mean the avi risk is any less than in deep backcountry.
NWAC has an awesome avalanche bulletin. Read it every morning and discuss it out loud with your team. And consider using a mapping software like Gaia GPS or Caltopo to see the slope angle of everything on and near your intended tour. Absorbing this macro information from the comfort of your own home can help you make much better decisions when you’re cold and tired in the field.
If you don’t have the avalanche education or friends with the education, consider hiring a guide service like, well, us! We guide ski and ski-mountaineering trips almost all year round in Washington and guide custom trips in Alaska, Japan, and Baffin Island. I think the main thing that sets us apart is our approach to risk in the mountains. Over hundreds of days in the backcountry we’ve seen too many backcountry goers get into trouble because of poor communication and falling into heuristic traps. We love snow science, but we make a point to educate all our guests and students on how to make sound inter-personal and emotional gut decisions just as much as technical snow-science ones.
Even if you do have all the skills and training, professional guides can always teach you something new or at least show you some off-the-beaten-path runs.
Helpful Resources:
Backcountry Skiing Snoqualmie Pass
by Martin Volken
100 Classic Backcountry Ski & Snowboard Routes in Washington
by Rainer Burgdorfer
Backcountry Ski! Washington: The Best Trails and Descents for Free-Heelers and Snowboarders
by Seabury Blair Jr.
Snoqualmie Pass Backcountry Tours Map — I find this map is really useful for getting an overview of the area. There’s a similar map for Mt Baker as well! by Matt Schonwold
Kyle Miller’s Blog — this resource is awesome. Kyle has done more well documented trips in Washington than anyone else I know. Many of the Fat Maps below are from his site. Thanks Kyle! by Kyle Miller
Ok: really, truly, to the good stuff.
Within 2 hours driving from Seattle, you have 4 main destinations: Snoqualmie Pass, Steven’s Pass, Crystal Mountain, Mt. Baker.
For each locations i’ll give you beginner, intermediate, and advanced tour suggestions. Please note that just because a tour is beginner does not mean it’s without avalanche hazard and the complexities of backcountry travel in winter. Please go with humility, and get the education you need.
TL,DR: Washington is a cool place to ski. Listed below are some really cool places to ski. Avalanches are a thing. Remote backcountry is remote. Be wise, humble, get good avi education, and consider hiring a guide.
Snoqualmie Pass
An hour’s drive east of Seattle is Snoqualmie Pass, home to endless adventure in surprisingly rugged mountains. There’s a lifetime of beautiful steep (and some mellow) skiing right here. But due to it’s beauty and it’s closeness to Seattle is can get very crowded. Don’t be discouraged! Hop off the beaten track anywhere around here and you’re likely to have something of a wilderness experience. If you skin up to Snow Lake on a clear low-avi danger Saturday you can be sure it’ll be a party — so if that’s your thing show up early to get parking.
Beginner Tours
Mount Hyak
Hyak is a great first stop to stretch out the legs and get into the rhythm of ski touring, especially if you’re new to the sport. It’s an active ski area, so you’ll need to be mindful of downhill traffic, but you can still find beautiful powder stashes and mellow runs.
Access: Drive past the first ski areas on Snoqualmie Pass to the Hyak Sno Park. NW Forest Pass Required.
From the parking lot you can skin SW up to the summit of Mount Hyak. From here, run laps back to the car till you’re satisfied! The terrain in here is mostly 32 degrees and below, but just because it’s a ski area doesn’t mean you shouldn’t treat it like avalanche terrain, especially if you popping out of bounds.
For advanced backcountry skiers and riders who want more adventure and can navigate more consequential complex terrain you can drop down the Hyak-Catherine Connector. This route drops down SW from Mount Hyak. From there you have a few options to access the summit of Mount Catherine. Mt Catherine offers beautiful runs for the intermediate to advanced skier, but be cautious as trees can get thick and there are some cliffs. When you’re done skiing Catherine, reverse your route back to the car.
Helpful notes: Hyak is part of the Summit at Snoqualmie Ski Area. Their uphill travel policy changes regularly so be sure to check it before heading out. At the moment, you’ll need to follow their designated uphill travel routes and you’ll need to get an uphill travel pass ($5 for the season). You can get a pass, review their policies, and see the uphill travel gpx file here.
Kendall Knob
Access: Park at Summit West Ski Area Parking Lot. NW Forest Pass Required.
If you want a step (or a few) up from Hyak, head over to Kendall Knob. This spot has an incredible density of terrain (open slopes, trees, tight trees) from beginner to expert all packed in close to the road. No long winding approaches here… right from the road you’re climbing through beautiful old growth forest… and then admittedly navigating some old clearcuts too.
Below is a rough idea, or you can click here to get a downloadable gpx with some tracks.
If you’re an intermediate or advanced backcountry skier you could lengthen your tour by heading further NE from Kendal Knob over to the Kendall Adventure Zone, an area of incredible chutes. Or make the day truly an epic and get way away from the crowds by heading even further NE out to the Alaska Adventure Zone. Commonwealth basin (the valley left of the route in the FatMap below) is an awesome to explore! It still gets crowded, but not quite like the Snow Lakes area.
Helpful notes: From the parking lot, cross the road you drove in on and walk north along the road, under the interstate, until you find a ski track heading into the woods (about 500 ft past the interstate). If there isn’t a ski/boot track you’re either the first one out after a storm or you’re in the wrong spot. The ski track follows a road cut, but it’s a bit hard to tell as the road isn’t plowed in winter.
Intermediate Tours
Pineapple Pass
Access: Put in directions for Alpental. As it stands in 2022, if you’re a season pass holder at Summit at Snoqualmie, you can park in Lot 4 (take the road towards Alpental all the way to the end where there’s a big, (hopefully plowed) parking lot mostly used by backcountry tourers and snowshoers. If you don’t have a season pass, you’ll need to park at the main Alpental lot, but do your own research on this to confirm as it seems ti change constantly.
Pineapple pass is a classic Cascades ski tour and an awesome first step into the Alpental backcountry. On a clear day you’ll get beautiful views of the Tooth and Chair Peak, and you may even forget you’re in America — the area feels almost like the Alps or Alaska. From Lot 4, head up the cat track towards Snow Lake (eventually the cat track disappears and it’s just a skin track) before wrapping around left below The Tooth to Pineapple Pass. When you’re ready to head home find the track starting near Source Lake. Stay high on this track (skiers right side of the stream) for a flowy ski back to the car.
If you’re feeling like a big day consider tacking on the rest of the Chair Peak circumnavigation. In spring conditions you may want an ice axe, ski crampons, and maybe even regular crampons.
Helpful Notes: If you’re coming here on a weekend or holiday with good conditions you’ll need to arrive before 9 to have a reliable shot at parking. There’s a tendency in areas with tons of skiers to become complacent and make your assessment of risk based on what everyone around you is up to. Don’t fall into that trap! Despite it’s proximity to Alpental and the relative ease of access, this area still has significant avalanche hazard. Here’s a Caltopo route of the tour.
Advanced Tours
Slot & Snot
Access: Drive towards Alpental, between the main Alpental parking lot (the one with the bridge going towards the resort) and Lot 4 (the last lot on the road, is the maintenance lot. Ie. drive past the main lot and park in the next lot on your left. The skin track starts up the Phantom Slide Path just across the road.
The Slot and Snot Couloirs are awesome advanced ski tours and Cascades Classics. Do one, do both. Unlike the Snot, the Slot couloir does not require any rappels to access the route.
Helpful Notes: This one can get very busy. Be mindful of avi conditions, but if you want it fairly untracked you’ll have to work for it. You can either head right back to the parking lot through the ‘exit notch’ as shown below or continue your tour off towards Snow Lake and back through Alpental Valley. Other awesome spots for advanced skiers looking for steepness: Bryant Peak couloir (most accessible), Alpental Side country, Alaska Adventure Zone, Holy Diver Couloir
Steven’s pass
Steven’s Pass offers entry into a wild endless world of wild, remote mountain skiing, but it also offers a bunch a sweet mellow runs suitable for beginners. Basically, i’m saying the world is large, mountains are large, the North Cascades has something for everyone. That being said, I don’t go to Steven’s Pass that often because i can rarely justify the extra 1.5 hours to get there an back vs just going to Snoqualmie Pass. Even though Crystal Mountain is technically farther, it can feel shorter because the roads are a bit less windy. That all being said, the drive up to Steven’s pass is gorgeous. The views of Mt. Index in winter are a personal favorite. You might even consider staying up there at one of the many beautiful Air Bnb’s and touring around for a few days. That’s my idea of a beautiful weekend.
Beginner Tours
Yodelin
Access: Drive highway 2 to Steven’s Pass. Park here.
Yodelin ski area shut down in the 1960’s but the runs ares still more or less there for backcountry skiers to enjoy. This spot is awesome for beginners or anyone looking to have a calm ski day when avi conditions are getting touchy. From the parking lot find your way up to Point 5023. Between point 5023 and 5273 are many good runs, most heading back down toward the highway.
Helpful Notes: For a more varied tour during stable avi conditions, consider leaving a car at the Nordic Center and ski out Mill Creek valley when the day is done. Here’s a Caltopo link.
Skyline Ridge
Access: Park in the Steven’s Pass parking lot on the right side of the road. No parking pass required but the lot fills up quick.
From the skin track in the ne corner of the lot you’ve got tons of options for big adventure. Follow the maintenance road until a skin track splits off towards Skyline Lake. From Skyline Lake you can lap runs back down to the road. Or you can head over to Tye lake either by following the ridge or by dropping into and climbing out of the bowl north of Skyline Lake.
Intermediate Tours
Jim Hill
Access: Park at the Lanham lakes Trailhead.
Jim Hill’s north facing low angled bowl is what a lot of people dream of when they dream of backcountry skiing. But there’s lot’s of room to explore here. The simplest option is to tour up Lanham Creek to the top of Jim Hill Mountain. From there you can either rip back to the car, explore the north bowl, or turn it into a long day and head over to Arrowhead Mountain.
Helpful notes: If you wan’t to connect Jim Hill and Arrowhead, but want a medium length day, you might consider leaving a shuttle car at Henry Creek so that you can ski down to without having to skin back out towards Lanham Creek.
Advanced Tours
Enchantments Traverse in a day
Access: You’ll need to cars or good hitchiking skills. One car at Snow Lake TH one at Bridger Creek Campground. You don’t need a parking pass in winter.
The Enchantment’s Traverse is maybe the most coveted hike in Washington during the summer. People wait for years to get a permit. But in winter, there’s no permit needed and hardly a soul around. For competent and super fit skiers, this could be one incredible day of remote skiing through Narnia. Or you could stretch it out into two days of traversing with a third or even fourth day of side tours. Colchuck glacier and Cannon Couloir would make excellent additional runs if you have the time and are feeling energized.
Helpful Notes: Don’t underestimate the size and complexity of the terrain. Be prepared for whiteout navigation and cary emergency bivy gear. Highway 2 is usually well plowed, but you may want or need snow tires / AWD to drive it safely.
Crystal Mountain
Crystal mountain is a pretty easy 2 hour drive from Seattle with ample free parking, good food, and endless backcountry exploration both lift accessed and skinning. When snow is wet and heavy at Snoqualmie, the extra 2 hours roundtrip to the higher colder elevations of Crystal might just be worth it. Plus, clear views of Tahoma abound. All routes listed below are accessed from the Crystal Mountain parking lots and base area.
Beginner & Intermediate Tours:
East Peak
East Peak is probably the most popular backcountry spot in Crystal. It has something for everyone, especially folks new to ski touring, and it’s super quick to access. You probably won’t find it on the map — look for the point south of Peak 6654. Or just ask any of the other backcountry folks, most people should be able to point the way. Start skinning up the road behind the chapel.
Helpful Notes: If the East Face is getting too tracked out for your liking and you don’t mind turning it into an intermediate day, consider dropping into Cement Basin. From here you can access Lakes Basin as well. There tons of good tree skiing in here.
Advanced Ski Tours
Crystal Mountain To Chinook Pass + Sheep Lake Couloir
A long fourteenish mile day in the mountains rewards you with a surprising feeling of remoteness, wild views of Tahoma / Mt Rainier if it’s clear, and a shot at 1300 feet of fall line couloir skiing. Start by either taking the quicksilver lift, or skining up from the base.
Helpful notes: You don’t need any special permits, but it’s good to ask patrol if there’s any avi work being done in Silver Basin. There’s a few different car shuttle possibilities depending on whether highway 410 is open, or you can complete the loop back to where you started.
Koma Kulshan / Mt. Baker
Koma Kulshan, also referred to just as Kulshan or Mt. Baker offers a huge playground at all aspects and a huge swath of elevations. At the center of course, is 10,786 ft Kulshan, a crowning jewel of the Cascades and home to tons of awesome ski mountaineering adventures. Watching sunrise on Mt. Baker with a sea of clouds beneath me and only a few other volcanoes popping through is one of my favorite experiences to have in the Cascades. But more than just beauty, Mt. Baker has incredible record-breaking amounts of snow and tons of intermediate to advanced terrain — and while it may be a long drive from Seattle, once you’re there it’s pretty quick skinning till you feel like you’re really in the mountains surrounded by possibilities. There’s also tons of sidecountry to work with if you have a pass.
Beginner Tours
Swift Creek Area
Access: Park in the Upper Heather Meadows area near the Blueberry Cat Track. When the ski area is operating you don’t need a pass. In the non-operating months you’ll need a NW Forest Pass.
Mt. Baker can be a bit of an overwhelming backcountry venue for complete beginners. The terrain can get big fast depending on which way you head. Swift Creek though is a perfect spot to learn or hone your skills. Head up the Blueberry Cat Track before passing through the gate on your left (about 20 minutes) and dropping in. It’s a fairly easy skin back out — a great place to run laps.
Helpful Notes: If you want to turn up the heat many many degrees, you can — after a few laps in Swift Creek and skinning back to the track, head right towards Artist Point and drop into the Blueberry Shoots. These are a completely different tenor from Swift Creek so be sure to scout from below on the track and proceed humbly.
Intermediate Tours
Herman Saddle, Table Mountain, Mazama Bowl
Access: drive towards Mt. Baker and park in the uppermost lot. When the ski area is operating you don’t need a pass. In the non-operating months you’ll need a NW Forest Pass.
While it’s more work to skin all the way out to Mazama bowl than to just hop on the lifts and boot out towards Shuksan Arm, you’ll likely be rewarded by fewer crowds and a more wildernessy feel. Consider circumnavigating Table Mountain and adding in Mazama Bowl along the way. Circumnavigating Table mountain is about 5 miles, so if you hit up all the spots you’ll have a very full day.
Helpful Notes: If you’re feeling super energetic consider adding on Coleman Pinnacle and or the Stoneman Couloir From Herman Saddle you can either go fall line into Bagley Lakes Basin or traverse high and to skiers right before dropping down through glades. Keep up speed towards the bottom and stay on the left side of the valley.
Shuksan Arm
Access: Ride Chair 8 to the top.
Shuksan arm is like an escalator into the alpine. An incredibly scenic alpine feel, excellent selfie potential, and deep powder make this a classic PNW ski spot.
Helpful Notes: Here’s a rough cal topo draw up of the area.
Advanced Tours
Heliotrope Ridge / Easton Glacier
Access: Drive to the Heliotrope Ridge Trail or the Park Butte Trail (Easton Glacier) depending on road opening.
Heliotrope Ridge is an awesome way to get into the alpine and have the big mountain feel all within a day’s work. Of course, you could do a one day ski push to the summit and back… but that’s a lot of work when you could be lapping runs lower on the mountain. Early or late season when you’re desperate for snow, this is a great spot to head. Unfortunately though, the road to that side of the mountain is closed for the foreseeable future, so you’re better off heading up the Easton Glacier and getting some beautiful turns.
Helpful Notes: Continue to check Forest Service road closure updates. By the time you read this the north side road may have opened. On either side you’ll need a NW Forest Pass. Make an informed choice about whether or not you’ll bring glacier travel gear and whether you’ll rope up on glacier. This is especially true early and late season. To be honest, I don’t always rope up on Cascade glaciers, especially when skiing. But I do always bring a crevasse rescue kit and expect my partners to as well. Further, i’ll wear my harness even if I don’t expect to rope up. Having the gear there encourages good decision making. Wearing a harness doesn’t impede my skiing at all and it means I’m prepared in the unlikely event that I do fall in a crevasse.
Bonus Tour
The Watson Traverse
Access: Starts on Glacier Creek Rd and ends at the Heather Meadows Parking Lot.
Up the Coleman-Demming, down the remote Park and Boulder Glaciers, 17 miles. If you want to get extra spicy with it, consider camping on the summit for next level views out over the Cascades.
Final Thoughts
Have fun out there! I hope this guide has given you some ideas and inspiration. If you’ve got questions feel free to send me an email at indigoalpineguides@gmail.com. If you’re interested in booking a trip reach out or check out the trips under the ski tab. We guide backcountry ski trips almost year round in Washington and offer custom trips in Alaska, Japan, and Baffin Island. November to March we’re mostly doing backcountry trips and courses in Snoqualmie Pass and Crystal. April we start to transition towards ski mountaineering traverses and summits and Denali National Park Trips. We’d love to ski with you!
