Grindstone Mountain and Icicle Ridge Skiing

Date: July 6, 2020
Location: Chiwaukum Mountains, Washington
Route: Chatter Creek Trail #1580

Inspired by views from Big Jim Mountain three weeks prior, I set out again in search of turns along Icicle Ridge. The Chatter Creek Trail was snow free to the pass, except for one small, flat patch around 6,000 feet. Icicle Ridge is approximately 4.75 miles and 4,400 feet elevation gain from the trailhead, which I reached in 2.5 hours.

*Nearing Icicle Ridge on the Chatter Creek Trail*

Continuous snow appeared to extend north from Icicle Ridge to at least Deadhorse Pass.

*Cape Horn (far left) and Snowgrass Mountain (middle left), viewed from the northeast ridge of Grindstone Mountain*

*Celebrating the climb to Icicle Ridge, with the summit of Grindstone Mountain behind*

*Northwest face of Grindstone Mountain, viewed from above Lake Alice*

Four hours on snow was plenty of time for multiple runs totaling over 1,500 feet of descent on the east and north aspects of Grindstone Mountain.

*Descending the east face of Grindstone Mountain, with Chatter Creek Trail switchbacks below the pass on the left*

With the trail and stream crossings in great shape, the return hike to the trailhead took only 1.5 hours which made for just over an eight-hour day in total.