trees and powder | yodelin ski tour

6 miles . 3000 ft gain . 5200 ft high

Yodelin was one of the first places I’d heard of to ski tour but it took some years before I finally ventured here. It’s a slightly further drive than Snoqualmie for that half-day ski vibe but honestly it’s been great thus far! It’s got plenty of trees and low angle terrain that might be a bit more challenging for the intermediate skier but overall a great place to be when avalanche danger is high. Obviously mileage and elevation gain will vary for your tour since the parking lot to the ridge is just over 1000 ft. So you have the ability to add as many runs as you want. There’s definitely areas with better open trees than others, so that will play a factor. It seems like mostly the upper 500 feet has the best trees before it gets denser below. Whether you’re on Mount Weird or Welldiggers Ass there’s plenty of room for all.

The most recent trip up we saw plenty of groups, yet we kept finding fresh snow to ski on and felt like everyone was somehow spaced out enough. Occasionally, you have to trust entering the thickets before the old growth trees reveal themselves. The exit out is best by going down from near Mount Weird and generally following the skin track out. Otherwise you’ll definitely end up in dense trees even if you find a nice opening for a little bit.

Not much to say about this short tour but it’s a great backpacker location to offer some variation to your easy-access terrain!

Notes

• Park in the Yodelin lot. Generally get there before 8am to secure parking.
• This is a pretty well known spot so tracks are likely there to follow.
• This is not entirely out of avalanche terrain, so please go with caution and do your proper research and trip planning before going out

Photos taken on Canon EOS R5 and Canon 5D Mark IV