Stevens Pass is home to some of the deepest snow and best tree skiing in the Pacific Northwest and is located only one and a half hours from downtown Seattle. North Cascades Mountain Guides offers traditional backcountry skiing trips, “Out-of-Bounds” skiing at Stevens Pass Mountain Resort and Snowmobile-Accessed backcountry trips out of Stevens Pass, Lake Wenatchee, Leavenworth and Blewett Pass.
We have a wide variety of offerings at Stevens Pass from huge multi-peak ski mountaineering objectives to gravity-fed powder skiing inside and outside of the ropes of the ski area.
NCMG offers three types of backcountry experiences at Stevens Pass. You and your guide can decide which of these three options are best given the conditions and your goals for the day.
1. Backcountry Skiing and Snowboarding – With over 240 square miles of permitted terrain to choose from we can definitely find you the best snow and the coolest lines. Depending on weather and conditions we can stick close to the Cascade Crest where you will find the deepest snow and amazing tree skiing as well as some bigger mountain descents. We have been skiing in this zone for decades and know where to find the best lines.
We can also travel farther east, towards Leavenworth and Blewett Pass, where you will often find colder snow and a sunnier climate. Blewett Pass offers some amazing skiing and often holds cold, boot-top powder on the shady aspects. This lesser-known area can stay good weeks after a storm and has a completely different feel to skiing near the pass. It’s much more like skiing in Colorado than Washington.
2. Snowmobile-Assisted Backcountry - We have several zones to choose from when using snowmobiles. Stevens Pass, Lake Wenatchee, Leavenworth, and Blewett Pass all offer something different. Using snowmobiles to access more remote terrain allows us to make the most of the day and get away from the crowds. NCMG has been offering snowmobile-accessed backcountry in Washington for almost 20 years and we are excited to offer this opportunity to skiers in the Stevens Pass area. Guests will start the day by snowmobiling to the base of the day's objective, where they will then use alpine touring gear or splitboards to climb to the top and ski down for as many laps as the day allows. People will still need to climb for their turns but the snowmobiles allow us to access terrain deeper in the mountains.
3. Out of Bounds Skiing – Explore the terrain surrounding the ski area with a local guide. Your day will start before the lifts start spinning so you and your guide can go over the necessary safety briefing, including how to use your beacon, shovel, and probe and how to get the most out of skiing with a guide.
Once the lifts start spinning you will hop on the chair and head to where the best snow is. On powder days that typically means several laps inside the ski area. This is a great way to warm up the legs before heading into the backcountry. Once the snow starts to get tracked out inside the ski area you will head outside the boundary ropes to explore new terrain. This terrain includes some amazing open bowls and tree skiing on Big Chief, steep chutes on Cowboy Mountain, or if conditions allow, a run down Tunnel Creek.
These trips do involve a bit of “booting” to get to the best runs but can be accomplished without specialized backcountry ski bindings or splitboards.
Downhill skiing or snowboarding skills are the most important skills to have for this program. Participants don’t need to be advanced riders but the more experienced you are, the more fun it will be. If you are new to backcountry riding please make sure you are familiar with your gear prior to your day out in the backcountry. We will be happy to help you learn backcountry skiing and snowboarding but we want to make sure you get the most out of your day.
While it is helpful to have a Level 1 avalanche course under your belt, each tour will begin with an avalanche safety briefing and practice session for all of our guests.
Backcountry riding does require a certain degree of fitness. We can accommodate your day to your level of fitness, but the more you prepare, the more you will enjoy your day. Since these trips are arranged on a custom basis, it is easy for us to find a tour to suit your fitness level and riding skills.
Pre-Trip Briefing - Pt. 1 from NCMG on Vimeo.
Pre-Trip Briefing - Pt. 2 from NCMG on Vimeo.
Pre-Trip Briefing - Snowmobile Safety from NCMG on Vimeo.
More pre-trip videos can be found here - Pre-Trip Skiing Videos
EQUIPMENT LIST – BACKCOUNTRY SKIING DAY TRIPS
TRIPS COVERED BY THIS LIST:
A NOTE ABOUT EQUIPMENT LISTS: Nothing can ruin a trip faster than having the wrong gear for the conditions at hand. All our programs are subject to rapid and severe changes in the weather. Select garments that are warm, lightweight and durable. Generally speaking, the best arrangement is to think in terms of layers – a system that dries quickly, allow flexibility and resists wind, water and abrasion. All of us have different tolerances for heat or cold; for example, you might choose warmer gloves than specified here if you tend to get cold hands. If you have doubts about a specific garment’s appropriateness, please talk to your guide in advance about conditions you are most likely to experience. This list is built for a trip with an unsettled weather forecast. With a good weather forecast some of these items may be left behind to save weight. All trips require that you bring adequate food and water, please see our “food” equipment list for details.
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CLOTHING Head, Hands & Feet
Upper Body Layers
Lower Body Layers
ACCESORIES
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ACCESSORIES continued…
SKI / RIDE
AVALANCHE SAFETY (these may be rented from NCMG)
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