"The Swath" is probably one of the most distinctive avalanche paths and obvious ski runs around these parts. You can't miss it when driving east on Hwy. 2 from Leavenworth as it cuts an unmistakable scar on one of the peaks of Chiwaukum Ridge, falling 4,000 feet to the valley floor.
With this years lack of low elevation snowpack, "only" the top 2,700 feet were in, but on this day it was deep, sluffy powder snow.
As we were heading up, another party arrived with a snow machine and motored past us on the approach, and then set a steep skin track up the trees, so there was no trail breaking for us; probably a good thing since we were pretty tired at our high point!
Jason and Eric getting ready to drop in.
There were some concerns of buried surface hoar, so we tried to be careful on the descent, which turned out to be pretty epic. One of the best runs of the year.
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