Warren Peak, Southeast Face

The Southeast gully is the central gully that leaves the looker's left skyline
about 300 vertical feet below the summit.

5/20/2025 After years of Warren Wallowing in the same manner, I've taken to trying a few new things.  For the 18th annual Warren Wallow, conditions lined up for a good mid-week excursion, so I rallied early with the intent of skiing the Southeast face down to the West Fork of Fishtrap Creek.  It is hard to get eyes on this face from anywhere, so I just rolled the dice and hoped it would be in condition.  The approach to Edith lake and ascent of the Southwest face all went smoothly.  I was grateful to have reasonable visibility to snag a good view of the line from the South ridge, which allowed me to confirm there was snow and scout an entrance around the cornice.  From the summit, I navigated a sharky line down the wind swept upper Southwest face, then traversed hard skier's left to the upper Southeast face.  The rest of the run transitioned from ice to something resembling softening corn. Great run and mostly good old fashioned fun skiing. 

Looking down the Warren Southeast face run.

I noted that Southwest face of peak 10,259 (the beautiful craggy one above Warren lake) was also well filled in, and had enough time to go have a look.  The climb was easy, and I ended up skiing the face from the summit, which was also most excellent.  From the bottom, I climbed back to the obvious broad saddle north of McGlaughlin Peak and exited by Edith lake.  A clean transition to running shoes below the lake made for a reasonably quick exit.  It was really fun to do something new on Warren, and I spotted yet another new line that piqued my interest.  Fodder to keep using the Warren Wallow as a way to further explore this mountain.   

10,259. I skied the obvious central gully.

Minor note: I exited along the South shore of Edith lake.  Getting around lakeside cliffs was just tricky enough that I think the summer trail on the North side of the lake is preferable, even with annoying intermittent snow.  

Holland to Holland traverse on skis (V2)

This was my best ski day of 2025.  The idea was to repeat my 2016 traverse in the other direction with better ski lines.  As such, when the persistent January facet layer finally settled down, I rolled out of town extra early, dropped a bike at the end of drivable snow on the Rumble Creek road, and was trudging from the Holland trailhead by 5 am. From Holland lookout shortly after first light, I made a traversing run North, then scrapped my way up the South Face of Woodward.  

Looking back at toward the Holland lookout from the Woodward climb.

To my slight surprise, shallow slabs caused some concern, and the North face of the peak did not look as well filled in as I had anticipated.  However, it seemed reasonable to proceed down the North gully, albeit with some additional scouting and careful choice of entrance.  The fall line goes way way down to Woodward lake, and I cut a full run very short by traversing at a logical point to keep 'er moving North.  Soon I was walking across Rubble lake on my way up to point 8,485.  I skied the Northwest gully, which was quite scoured but safe and a nice run.  The next few hours were spent crossing the crest, making a short East facing run, and climbing Buck.  

Woodward was nice.

Looking back at the 8,485 line.

Up Buck.

My tour plan was to ski the North ridge of Buck, but recent crowns on similar aspects raised concern. Nevertheless I decided to start down and get a feel for conditions.  Just 50 feet into the run, I came to a point where I would have to commit to the exposure of the line, and I simply had a gut feeling that the North face line didn't feel right.  So I sidestepped up and out and enjoyed a nice rip down the South face.  No idea if my decision making was "right" or "wrong", but I have no regrets.  Maybe it was the wind or accumulated elevation or simply accumulated stress from a crappy few months in politics, but I kind of cracked on the climb up Holland and barely drug myself to the top.  

The rest of the day was great.  Holland skiing was completely wind hammered but still good fun, and the climb over the crest and ensuing run was nice.  I did try skiing as far as possible down the South Fork of Rumble creek instead of following the customary summer trail egress, but the downfall choked traverse back to the summer trail was interesting, and I would have been better off sticking with the normal route.  

Heading home.

Soon enough, I was capping the day off, biking back along the highway with skis on the pack.  With a big enough grin that drivers probably thought I was certified crazy rather than in a state of bliss from a hard, magical day in the mountains.

I think this is one of the best long tours around.  Iconic mountains, good skiing, and committing and challenging enough to feel like an achievement.  It would be cleaner and more modern with the North face of Buck.