Cone Peak, Redux: South Peak and the Northeast Bowl

Cone peak has become my go-to for weekend ski tours. While the runs are short, so is the drive and the approach. Plus, there are a ton of skiable aspects on Cone and its neighboring peaks. Plenty to keep you busy for a day. This post combines two different tours to South Peak and the NE bowl on Cone.

Cone Peak 1/3/13

Cone Peak is located off of Tombstone pass and is only around an hour an a half from Eugene. It is one of the few accessible roadside attractions in the winter, and it provides for some great turns if you can hit the conditions right. It is relatively low in elevation, so it can be subject to rain throughout the winter.

This was my first time up Cone Peak, and brought along my buddy Bob for his first backcountry outing. Bob is a snowboarder, and while I skinned, Bob slogged up on snowshoes with his board on his back. We were slow on the climb and it took us over two hours to ascend the 1300 feet to the summit. In good snow conditions or with an experienced group, the climb can be done in less than an hour.