Skiing Marble Creek Cirque
Lost Marbles Couloir
Triad - Kumquat Couloir
Whence comes
Kumquat?
Rhymes with cumshot: etymology without apology.
The Triad, originally named the Three Dicks by its first ascent party (which included three guys named Dick), is a formation of small, craggy peaks when viewed from the south. But the north aspect drops dramatically into Marble Creek Cirque, much like Johannesburg drops toward the North Fork of Cascade River.
The Hummels and I skied the very steep (albeit short) West Face of the West Triad (Little Richard) from close to its summit in March of 2005. Shortly thereafter, Dr. John Roper sent me a late season photo that showed a mind-blowing line on the Triad's North Face. Some clever soul - not me - dubbed the line Cumshot Couloir, an appropriate name for the money shot off Three Dicks.
Cumshot Couloir: It's the gem of Marble Creek Cirque: Three Dicks' worth of the finest pearl necklace of salacious snow seductively straddling prurient peaks. Dropping from a saddle just west of the westernmost (and most diminutive) Dick, Cumshot Couloir proves that sometimes the Little Dick comes biggest.January 24, 2007
There's a spectacular cirque in North Cascades National Park at the head of Marble Creek. It's had a funny enchantment on me for the last two years, since I got Hannahilated while accidentally climbing a new 2,000 ft alpine rock route on Early Morning Spire. Recently, I had the stupid idea to approach the cirque via Marble Creek - six miles of maritime mountain valley with no trail. My two poor victimfriends and I managed to go all of a mile in three hours before we surrendered, then sat by the creek in a shiver-bivy until dawn. Something about this place makes me lose my marbles.
After our night of cuddling in the woods, I knew I had to find a better way. I've been around Eldorado Peak and it's just too damn far. I spent several hours the next weekend staring at maps. Finally, I notice this crease in my topo. No wait, that's not a crease! I wonder what the hell it's like in there? This calls for investigation.
I found two suckers who wanted to "ski" yesterday, Eric and Pete, so we went on our merry way to Cascade River Road. Knowing how much road we'd need to ski, I urged Eric to go for it when the snow started to get deep. We made it another quarter mile before getting stuck. Perfect. Starting at 3 am, we had to ski two miles just to reach Sibley Creek Road.
Five more miles to 3,600 ft - the end of the road. Shortly after beginning the trail, it seemed like a good time to make some coffee while first light faded into being.
I knew my plans for the day were big, perhaps too big, so I went into overdrive to reach our high point before skiing the mystery access gash. The snow had a nice crust that made skinning very fast.
Sunset on our skin track and Hidden Lake Peaks
We were ecstatic at the high point, given the incredible views. Now, where the hell's that gash? That great gash leading to such beautiful cuntry. The topo says it should be dead ahead in the direction of Early Morning Spire. Let's go see.
Once there, the couloir was obvious. Its walls were huge. But we couldn't see over the roll where it takes a turn. Does it go? Let's have a look. I made several turns on killer crust - the good kind that we love to ski with climbing gear on our backs - and around the corner were a roll and a couloir that just went for days.
The whole damn couloir was filled with avy debris from Tuesday's rain, but I still loved it for its outrageous position and views. After skiing the couloir, all other objectives were cancelled due to shitty conditions. Honestly, we would have been reclimbing Lost Marbles Couloir after dark if we had tried any antics in the cirque. But there will be a next time.
Next time: Ross finds a treat while losing his marbles.
The good times never end once you've lost your marbles.
June 20, 2007
Kumquat Couloir from Dorado Needle
Photo by S. Verdina, 2007.07.07.
Damn that thing needed a good skiing. I made four attempts between January and April. The first one saw my dumb ass shivering in the woods of Marble Creek Cirque with Casey and Jason, maybe a mile and a half from Cascade River Road, realizing that it wasn't going to happen that way, then waiting by the creek until dawn. Priceless quote from a hopeless Hummel: "I think I'm getting the flu." Can we go home now?
Shortly thereafter, nursing a Beck's and meditating on maps, I noticed the crease of Lost Marbles Couloir dropping into the cirque from the Hidden Lake Peaks area. A worthy line in and of itself: Topos don't lie.
Eric and Pete get honorable mention for exploratory suffering down a debris-filled Lost Marbles Couloir to look around the cirque before we ran home with our tails between our legs.
Ross and I skied incredible blower down Lost Marbles Couloir in late April; then I spent hours being as scared as I've been climbing a windloaded deathtrap.
Anyway, good conditions and coverage on Da SLoop sealed the deal. It was time to drop the marbles again.
Dan, Phil, and I left the Eldorado Trailhead at 6 am and charged the steep hike to the talus fields. Dan just migrated to the great northwest from Colorado. "What do you think about Johannesburg?"
A little more slogging and it was finally time to change into ski boots. Several marmot sightings and the possibility of some scrambling down from Eldorado-Triad Col had us putting our shoes into our packs.
Finally at the ridge crossing below Eldorado, the Triad looked farther and higher than my wishful thinking would have had it.
Two hours later, we ski westward from the high saddle next to the East Dick to get around the lowest rock on Little Richard.
Another marmot sighting, a mistaken col, and some deep slush step-kicking put us in prime position for a game of marbles. What are conditions like at the top? The views are vertiginous: A very steep 4k separates us from the bottom of the cirque. The snow has a nice melt-freeze crust with corn on top, but there is also a disconcerting unconsolidated two feet loaded below that from last weekend's weather. I wouldn't even consider dropping into this puppy if I hadn't climbed it previously. It also helps to have skied a steep slope with similar aspect the day before. We have a rope and time, so I decide to make some test turns over the steep top roll on belay.
Dan skis the steep upper slopes, airily perched above big cliffs.
Stomping a few jump turns into the top roll convinces me that the snow is stable enough. "All right, Phil, take me off belay!" I stuff the rope into my pack and enjoy the special ambiance of Marble Creek Cirque. Dan and Phil get to "free it."
How's it going up there, Phil?
In the gut, now that we've lost elevation, the snow is really great corn. I can't get enough of those exhilirating post-stress turns. The couloir is steep and long, its walls are tall, and the snow is quite nice. It just doesn't get any better than this.
The return to Cascade River Road goes uneventfully. Now, if only I could ski this superb descent from the true summit to the valley floor for a sustained 4,500 ft some day....
