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| David Ascending into the Maw |
Paulina (Paul-eye-nah) Peak is alpinism concentrate. With an approach of around 45 minutes, you can be below some of the most spectacular technical skiing in Oregon. Located in the Newberry Crater, around 45 minutes south of Bend, Paulina Peak is easy to overlook. Unlike most mountains of interest in Oregon, Paulina Peak is not particularly tall or grandiose from far away. From a distance, the mountain is little more than a bump on the horizon. But as you get closer, you will begin to see why Paulina Peak so special.
The NW Chutes on the mountain are steep, tight, and flanked by imposing basalt cliffs. There are numerous skiable chutes on this aspect, ranging from 10 skis to 2 skis wide. Nearly all the chutes open up onto a wide apron. Snowmobilers call the lower area "the playground"...but they don't even know the half of it.
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| Traversing across the apron |
David, Sather, and I woke up at the butt crack of dawn Sunday morning to do a quick climb and ski on Paulina. David and I were in town for Pole Peddle Paddle, which we competed in the day before. We reached the snow gate at around 6:45 AM and we were on the snow around 7:00. There was still quite a bit of snow on the Paulina Peak road. I'm guessing that by Memorial day, much of that snow will be melted out, and the short approach will be even shorter.
To reach the chutes, we skinned up the Paulina Peak road for about a mile before we intersected with the Crater Rim Trail. The Crater Rim Trail circumnavigates the entire Newberry Crater. We followed the trail East along the North flank of Paulina Peak. As you follow the trail, keep an eye out for views into the NW bowl. You will want to enter the bowl below the chutes. Begin traversing into the bowl at around 6800 feet. If you follow the trail too high, the cliffs that guard the bowl will prevent you from entering, and you'll have to backtrack. It's important to enter the bowl from below and hike up the couloirs. First, it makes the hike much prettier. Second, all of the chutes are very steep, and many cliff out somewhere along the way. From the top, it's nearly impossible to tell which chutes cliff out. Some chutes are only skiable under certain snow conditions. By hiking from the base of the apron, you can see which chutes are skiable, and plan your descent accordingly.
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| David opening up in the apron |
Within 45 minutes, Sather, David, and I were at the base of the apron, looking up towards the chutes and cliffs towering above us. The weather was cloudy. There was a thin dusting of new, cold snow on top of a soft granular layer. Snow stability seemed solid, however we knew that as soon as the sun peaked out, the snow would quickly become baked and unstable. We moved quickly to get the cold snow while it lasted. As it turned out, the clouds were there to stay, and the snow remained stable throughout the course of our ascent.
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| There were some tight, steep, moderately technical aspects of the climb |
We chose a couloir that runs right down the center of the cliffs. It is around 100 feet wide, getting narrower toward the top; around 45 degrees in pitch. Sather lead the way, putting in a booter up the apron, and into the chute. The total ascent from the base of the apron to the top of the chutes is around 1000 feet. We were at the top in around 45 minutes. We took in some food and water, exhilarated by the spectacular ascent we had just made. We then stepped into our skis and assessed our route down.
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| Sather in the Couloir |
It should be noted that the Northwest Chutes on Paulina Peak are highly avalanche prone. Above nearly all the chutes are prime starting zones. If there is any chance of avalanche, avoid the chutes. With soft snow, slough management would be crucial. With soft unstable snow, there is little you can do to mitigate avalanche risks in these bowls.
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| David in the Couloir |
After our hike up, we felt good about snow stability. I skied first, finding a safe spot a couple hundred feet down the couloir. David and Sather followed. The dusting of cold new snow created a great sliding surface. The granulated slushy underneath was a little inconsistent, but overall made for stable and soft skiing. We leapfrogged down the couloir and regrouped just above the apron. We skied one by one, reconvening at tree line. After a round of high fives, and reapplication of skins (except for me, as I was on my Rossi BC 125s), we began making our way back toward the car. By 10:00 a.m. we were in the car, on our way back to Bend.
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| Eying the exit |
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