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Stevens Pass: More Snow Than H Stevens Pass: More Snow Than Hype

From: TetonGravityResearch
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Words and Images by Joey Mara

The Cascades are loaded with underrated gems—and Stevens Pass is definitely one of them. Not only is the resort peppered with steep terrain, it also enjoys massive storms that make the mountain a freerider’s dream. Only eighty miles from downtown Seattle, Stevens Pass has been slinging lift tickets for seventy-five years. In that time, it’s been responsible for more than a few people calling in sick to sample the latest storm. With ten lifts serving 1,125 acres spread between the mountain’s front and backside, the resort accommodates skiers and riders of all ability levels. Nonetheless, the mountain is best known for its expert terrain.

No one disputes that the snow in the Pacific Northwest is deep, yet its quality is often up for debate. A few locals will come clean, however, and reveal that labels like “cascade concrete” are misnomers designed to keep tourists away. The snow at Stevens is premium—and thanks to receiving over 450 inches of snow annually, there’s plenty of pow to go around. In fact, it’s not uncommon for the mountain to see upwards of 650 inches in a season.

After a storm, however, the snow at Stevens is typically measured in feet thanks to a unique weather phenomenon known as the Puget Sound Convergence Zone. West of Seattle, the Olympic Mountains split incoming storm tracks, forcing their wind and moisture to divide to the north and south and collide again when they converge at the Cascades. This concentrates precipitation in the vicinity of Stevens Pass. Consequently, storms may hammer the mountain while other resorts in the state receive only a fraction of this snowfall. Needless to say, the storms at Stevens make dreams come true—just come prepared with a snorkel. In December of 2012, for example, a storm dropped 39 inches at the base of Stevens and sixty inches at its summit in just a twenty-four hour period.

Stevens Pass lacks the glamour (and excessive amenities) of a mega resort—and that’s fine with those who call the mountain home. For the courageous, Stevens has plenty of steep lines—perfect for those who like to push limits and occasionally piss their pants. Pillows, chutes, steeps, cliffs, and spines all litter the mountain, while the tree skiing is also world class. It might be worth befriending a local when you come to Stevens, as much of this terrain can be elusive to the uninitiated. To further maximize your time at Stevens, be ready for some serious storm riding. Locals revel in the free refills provided by Steven’s heavy snowfall. The mountain’s night skiing can also add a new dimension to chasing powder. And if you’re fortunate enough to catch a bluebird day, Cowboy and Rooster Ridges provide an ample canvas for laying down creative lines. It should come as no surprise that skiers and riders can explore Stevens season after season and continue to find new zones.

Stevens Past to Present Celebrating 75 Years! from Joey mara on Vimeo.

For those prepared to venture outside the access gates, the backcountry at Stevens Pass is the real deal. Due to the high amount of snow and steep terrain, avalanches occur frequently. Adding to the danger, visibility can change rapidly. That being said, a wealth of ridges, back bowls, and peaks can be accessed via the lifts or by touring from the highway or nordic trails. Much of Steven’s backcountry dumps skiers at the highway, enabling them to easily hitch a ride back to the resort.

In addition to its natural terrain, Stevens Pass boasts a solid park. The Top Phlight park crew spends its days prepping dozens of rails and kickers of all sizes. Stevens also has one of the few halfpipes in the state of Washington. Thanks to the diversity of its terrain, the mountain is a breeding ground for well-rounded rippers.

Stevens has remained under the radar thanks, in part, to a lack of accommodations at its base. For those wishing to stay close to the slopes, a variety of rental cabins are available on both sides of the pass. Most visitors, however, stay in or around the town of Leavenworth on the east side of the pass. Located forty-five minutes from Stevens, Leavenworth sports a Bavarian theme and offers plenty of entertainment for those looking to kick back and slip off their boots. During the winter months, the town is lit up with Christmas lights and the streets are packed with Seattleites hoping to escape the city, shop, and enjoy some food and drinks at German pubs. For those looking for no-frills lodging, the small towns of Skykomish and Gold Bar on the Seattle side of the pass offer affordable options.

Stevens will never be a Whistler or an Aspen—and it does not want to be such a resort. And while the scene is mellow, the mountain is not. Needless to say, Stevens has no shortage of challenging terrain—and good company with whom to explore it. The people are friendly and the snow is deep. If you measure your seasons in faceshots and high fives, Stevens might be your soulmate.
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2 months ago
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Stevens Pass Night Skiing Stevens Pass Night Skiing

From: TetonGravityResearch
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The fun doesn't end when the sun goes down.
2 months ago
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Stevens Pass Through the Cloud Stevens Pass Through the Clouds

From: TetonGravityResearch
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Stevens Pass as seen through the clouds.
2 months ago
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Stevens Pass Park Stevens Pass Park

From: TetonGravityResearch
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Stevens Pass boasts a premiere park.
2 months ago
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The Rooster Comb The Rooster Comb

From: TetonGravityResearch
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Here comes the Rooster.
2 months ago
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Cowboy Ridge Cowboy Ridge

From: TetonGravityResearch
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Cowboy Ridge at Stevens Pass provides the perfect canvas for laying down lines.
2 months ago
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Matt Wainhouse Matt Wainhouse

From: TetonGravityResearch
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Matt Wainhouse throws down a hammer at Stevens Pass.
2 months ago
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RC Helicopter edit from Shifte RC Helicopter edit from Shifted Cinema

From: ethan_fortney
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Took one of the Helicopters up to Stevens Pass with our new Sony FS700 to test out the slomo abilities. Besides a gusty morning, it was a pretty solid day and came away with some good shots.

Thanks for watching,

Ethan

info@shiftedcinema.com

Music: Till Death - The Dark Woods
3 months ago
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En Route Cascadia En Route Cascadia

From: nimbusindependent
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En Route Cascadia follows Andy Mahre, Bryce Phillips and Eric Pollard on a road trip through Washington's best ski resorts; Crystal Mountain, Alpental, Stevens Pass and White Pass.

Nimbus Independent was started in 2007 by Eric Pollard in collaboration with Pep Fujas, Andy Mahre, and Chris Benchetler. The four like minded skiers began Nimbus to bring a different perspective to skiing.

For more please subscribe on Vimeo and visit:

nimbusindependent.com/
facebook.com/nimbusindependent
8 months ago
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Sunny Trailer By Level 1 Produ Sunny Trailer By Level 1 Productions

From: media-75233
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Available for pre-order in both DVD and BluRay formats with a free T-shirt from Under Armour. level1productions.com/shop/category/new-releases/

World Premiere scheduled for Saturday, September 8th in Denver, Colorado.

They say the lack of sunlight affects our mood - that the natural balance of the human mind state quickly shifts with presence of the giant solar fireball in the sky. But this isn’t about winter blues or summer depression. Sunny is a mental disposition, and not just one reserved for beaches and fun parks. Level 1 injected a positive mood into the ski season – giving a dose of light therapy to dark northern landscapes of Scandinavia, Alaska, Japan and British Columbia. So sit back and relax, put your shades on and soak up the rays - the future looks bright.

Featuring:
Parker White, Chris Logan, Mike Hornbeck, Tom Wallisch, Wiley Miller, Eric Pollard, Will Wesson, Torin Yater-Wallace, Tim McChesney, Ahmet Dadali, Alex Bellemare, Niklas Eriksson, Adam Delorme, Josh Bibby, LJ Strenio, Tanner Rainville, Logan Imlach, Spencer Milbocker, Sig Tveit, Lucas Stål-Madison
and Friends

Shot on Location in:
Sun Valley, ID - Portes Du Soleil, Switzerland - Flachauwinkl, Austria - Breckenridge, CO - Japan - Alaska - Denver, CO - British Columbia - Stevens Pass, WA - Crystal Mountain, WA 0 Mt Hood, OR - Arizona - Turkey - Finland - Sweden - Arctic Circle

Directed by Josh Berman and Kyle Decker
Produced by Josh Berman
Principal Cinematography By Josh Berman, Kyle Decker, Freedle Coty
Edited By Kyle Decker, Josh Berman, and Freedle Coty

Click Here To Watch More Ski and Snowboard Movie Trailers
11 months ago
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Stevens Pass Mountain Resort F Stevens Pass Mountain Resort First In WA To Win National Environmental Award

From: media-75233
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In its 18 year history, the ski industry’s most prestigious award has never been won by a Washington resort.

Leavenworth, WA – The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) honored Stevens Pass Mountain Resort with the 2012 Golden Eagle Award for Environmental Excellence. Stevens Pass took top environmental honors in the mid-sized resort category (200,000 to 500,000 skier visits) for its energy conservation and greenhouse gas (GHG)reduction efforts. An Oregon resort won the award in 1994 and is the only other PNW winner.

“Our company-wide focus on sustainability includes many progressive programs, and we are especially pleased to receive this national acknowledgement,” said Ross Freeman, Environment & Sustainability Manager for Stevens Pass.

Energy conservation programs at Stevens Pass include simple measures such as upgraded lighting, occupancy sensors, timers, and improved operational protocols, as well as more complex projects such as a comprehensive third-party energy audit, building equipment retrofits, and solar power installations.

Greenhouse gas reduction efforts include extensive food waste compost programs, tracking of fuel consumption for all vehicles and snow machinery, no-idling policies, the purchase of cleaner engines (e.g. 4-stroke snowmobiles; low-emissions snowcats and front loaders), electric vehicles, and investment in employee transit. Last year the resort completed the installation of two public electric vehicle (EV) charging stations, the nation’s first to be located in a mountain pass environment, and at the time the only units located at any ski resort.

Many other environmental projects are also underway, such as on-slope recycling, preferential purchasing of local food ingredients, and active surplus property/re-use procedures.

“We are always looking for ways to reduce our impacts, save money through efficiency, and do the right thing for the mountain environment for years to come,” said Freeman.

In addition to all its onsite GHG programs, for the past five years Stevens Pass has also chosen to offset a full 100 percent of its electricity and propane consumption through renewable energy credits and carbon offsets from non-polluting windpower. By making this investment to support clean energy for everyone, the resort has funded 21,289,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of windpower, and prevented the emission of 16,182 tons of CO2, or the equivalent of taking 2,878 cars off the road for a year.

Stevens Pass believes it has a responsibility to the environment and is one of the few resorts nationwide with full time environmental staff.

“We know that combating global warming is critical for the future of our entire industry, and we seek to lead resorts across the PNW by example,” said Freeman.

The NSAA’s Golden Eagle award comes on the heels of another notable award from the Washington State Recycling Association, which recently named Stevens Pass as Recycler of the Year – a category won last year by the Seattle Mariners baseball team.
Last December, Stevens Pass was thrilled to receive a national top ten ranking, and the highest score in the PNW, from the Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition annual Report Card, which uses public records and extensive surveys to rank the environmental practices of Western ski resorts.
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1 year ago
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Stevens Pass Trail Map Stevens Pass Trail Map

From: media-75233
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Stevens Pass Trail Map
1 year ago
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News: Hoch And Lucas Win The N News: Hoch And Lucas Win The North Face Masters Of Snowboarding Finals At Kirkwood

From: TetonGravityResearch
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Kirkwood, California- The final day of The North Face Masters of Snowboarding, presented by PrimaLoft, went off in epic style under bluebird, California skies. With 100 mile-per-hour winds and heavy snowfall pushing the competition back one day, competitors were treated to fresh powder and sunny spring conditions on Kirkwood's famously steep venue,The Cirque for the one-run finals.

It was an amazing day here at Kirkwood, said Competition Director Patrick Brennan.Sun, powder and an incredible field of athletes made for a perfect day of competition.

With The Cirque permanently closed to the public, Kirkwood patrollers were hard at work yesterday morning performing avalanche and safety control after two feet of snow fell overnight. Due to high winds, the venue was left with variable snow conditions, which created another challenging aspect to an already difficult competition venue.

A leg-burning 1300 feet long, the venue had every type of snow condition and terrain feature imaginable for the 42 big-mountain snowboarders who made it to the finals after Day 1. Riders were judged for line choice, control, style and fluidity by big mountain legends Tom Burt, Andy Hetzel, Temple Cummins and Julie Zell.

The womens champion for 2012 at Kirkwood was local rider Casey Lucas. This is a dream to win at Kirkwood, said Lucas after her high score of 80.33 was announced. Judges and fans were impressed with Lucas s double cliff drop at the top, showcasing her confident and controlled riding skills honed here at Kirkwood.

In second was Snowbirds Laura Dewey whose strong, athletic style earned her a 78.67. Rounding out the podium at Kirkwood was fellow Snowbird rider Camila Brown with a score of 78.00 thanks to her solid line choice.

Coming back with a vengeance after being sidelined with injury was Wolfcreeks Charlie Hoch, who took the mens field with a winning score of 81.33. Hoch stuck his landing on a big double cliff drop off the top, rode fluid and fast down the fall line, and showed impeccable control on the variable snow. His solid riding earned him the Clif Bar Best Moment of the competition on top of his first place finish.

Scoring an 80.33 to finish second place amid the stacked field was seasoned rider Tim Carlson out of Stevens Pass, WA. Carlson showed zero hesitation as he straight-lined chutes, stuck every landing and carved fast, fluid turns. Earning the final podium spot was Squaw Valleys Christopher Galvin with a score of 78.67.

Now in its fifth season, the three-stop tour is the only open competition for big mountain snowboarders, with an overall prize purse of $50,000.

$20,000 of prize money was awarded to the top finishers, as well the famous Katana Sword to Hoch and Lucas. The North Face Young Gun Award, given to the most impressive rider under the age of 25, went to Jann Eberharter of Bogus Basin.

The North Face Masters of Snowboarding is presented by PrimaLoft and supported by The North Face, Subaru of America, Sierra Nevada Brewing Co., Bern, Lib Tech, Gnu, Mountain Sports International, Comcast Sportsnet, Snowboard Magazine, Clif Bar, Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort, Crystal Mountain and Kirkwood Mountain Resort.
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1 year ago
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Salomon Freeski TV S5 E07 Nort Salomon Freeski TV S5 E07 Northwest Road Trip Part 2

From: salomonfreeski
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Our Northwest adventure continues with the arrival of Mark Abma, and one of the deepest days on record at Stevens Pass, Washington. http://www.salomonfreeski.com
1 year ago
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Stevens Pass 2-27-12 Stevens Pass 2-27-12

From: brianskis
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A quick clip from a weekend of remembrance and celebration.
1 year ago
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News: Stevens Pass Avalanche K News: Stevens Pass Avalanche Kills 3 Skiers, Alpental Avalanche Kills Snowboarder

From: media-75233
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Stevens Pass, Wash. — Reports confirm that Freeskiing World Tour head judge Jim Jack, Stevens Pass director of marketing Chris Rudolph and skier John Brenan died Sunday in a slide outside of Stevens Pass ski resort in Tunnel Creek drainage.

At Alpental on Sunday, a 41-year-old snowboarder was killed after triggering an avalanche and being swept over a cliff. His name has not been released.

In the above MSNBC video professional skier Elyse Saugstad — who survived the Stevens Pass slide — recounts the tragic day.
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1 year ago
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Winter Is Back: Things Get Dee Winter Is Back: Things Get Deep In The PNW

From: johnclarydavies
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When it started snowing at Stevens Pass last Friday night, the first 15 inches came in at 5 percent. By Wednesday, 52 inches of snow had fallen on the ski area. Ski reports from Mount Hood Meadows to Mount Baker were white and deep. Twelve inches here, 31 inches there. Just like that, the winter faucet had been turned on.

Salomon skiers and Tahoe residents Elyse Saugstad and Amie Engerbretson made the trip to Stevens Pass to shoot with photographer Ian Coble.

“I’m out of my mind,” said Engerbretson. “It was full on blower pow over your head every single run. I haven’t skied that kind of light blower snow that often. It just kept snowing and snowing and snowing. ... It was nice to come up and be reminded that winter does exist.”

Tahoe resident Amie Engerbretson samples the Pacific North West powder at Stevens Pass. Photo by Ian Coble.

The storm came after weeks of high pressure throughout North America, with ski areas reeling from a decline in skier visits. Saugstad, who said the snow was waist deep, said this storm more than made up for fall-like conditions near her home.

“It’s been a rough year in Tahoe, but I don’t care,” said Saugstad. “Whenever you get a chance to ski this much snow, in general, it doesn’t matter if you‘ve been having it really good for a long time or not. It feels really good and awesome.”

While the initial Pacific Northwest storm tapered out, more snow is forecasted in the coming days throughout the west.

Stevens Pass Director of Marketing Chris Rudolph summed up the change in conditions.

“It’s gone from zero to hero in the matter of three days.”

The same storm wreaked havoc on Jackson Hole, dumping 37 inches of snow on the area to date. With up to 21 inches of snow forecasted to fall by Sunday, the skiing has finally gotten good. Below is a photo of TGR athlete Matt Philippi shralping the cowboy powder.

Matt Philippi coming up for air. Photo by Max Santeusanio .
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1 year ago
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