Crater Lake National Park Ski Circumnavigation, Oregon

The Trip

Crater Lake National Park protects the deepest lake in the United States. The lake rests inside a caldera formed 7,700 years ago when a 12,000-foot volcano collapsed after erupting. The views from the rim of the caldera, specially with snow, are uniquely spectacular. Come see for yourself and enjoy spring skiing in Southern Oregon’s High Cascade Mountains.

Backcountry ski-camping is an equipment-intensive activity. In addition, special skills and habits are needed to survive, enjoy, and protect the snowy wilderness. We will have 1.5 days to ensure each person has the right equipment and to practice the skiing and snow-camping skills needed for the ski circumnavigation. When we return to our cabin in the evening after our practices, we will share tips, maybe tall stories, and heightened expectations of the adventure ahead.

Our ski route is on the snow-covered Rim Drive. We may have to take off our skis and walk small sections due to exposed road surface from snow melts. About 80 skiers and 30 snowshoers go around Crater Lake each year, so there will likely be tracks, but there are no groomed trails. Most people complete the 31-mile loop in 3 days – that is about 10 miles a day. We will give ourselves 4 days for a more leisurely and flexible trip. Each morning on the ski tour, we will wait for sufficient sunlight to warm the air and soften the snow before starting. That is usually between 8 and 9 a.m. In the afternoon we will stop early, before 4 p.m., to set up camp properly in the snow. We will eat dinner while it is still comfortably warm and enjoy the sunset with our hot drinks.

If we are making good progress around the crater, we may take a side trip to Mt. Scott without our packs and seek out steeper terrain for a few fun downhill turns or even a summit climb.

When we complete our loop, we will go back to the lodge one more night, to clean up and organize our gear for the trip home the next morning.

Day 1: We will meet at the Medford International Airport. Some waiting time at the airport should be expected in order to consolidate people’s arrivals to minimize the number of trips needed to transport participants. If necessary, we will drive to a ski rental facility for those who need to rent gear. It is important that everyone acquires the necessary gear for the trip by the end of this day. It is then a 1 hr 10 min drive to our cabin from Medford. If everyone arrives early, we may have time to enjoy a short walk along the beautiful Rogue River before dinner.

Day 2: After breakfast we will pack lunches and drive (30 min) to Crater Lake National Park Steel Visitor Center for a brief orientation to the Park. This day will be a practice day, so we will spend the morning skiing near the visitor center to fine-tune our ski equipment and practice ski techniques that will be useful on the trip. We will ski with our pack, with all the gear and food we will be carrying. We will set up our tents in the snow and fire up our stoves. After lunch, we will drive to the Rim Village (8 min) for our first view of Crater Lake. We will check out the conditions at the Rim and do a little more skiing there, without our full packs. For our last practice challenge, for those who are more advanced skiers, we will ski down from the Rim Village back to the visitor center on the Raven Trail, a favorite of park rangers after work. The Raven Trail drops 610 feet in 1 mile, with some very steep sections. We will ski across the bottom of an avalanche-prone slope, but it should pose less threats in late April.

Day 3: After an early breakfast, we will check out of the lodge and drive to the Park Visitor Center and obtain our wilderness permit. We will then shuttle skiers and gear up to the Rim Village, but all cars have to return and park at the overnight parking lot at the visitor center. Drivers will then need to either hitchhike or ski back up to the Rim Village to join the others. Hopefully we can begin our ski circumnavigation by 10:30 a.m. We will execute the loop in a clockwise direction, which the park recommends. On this first day on the loop, we will climb 600 feet. We aim to ski past the Watchman and find camp hopefully with a view of Wizard Island. Avalanche-prone slopes exist around Watchman, but the danger should be less in late April.

Day 4: On the second day on the loop, we aim to be at least halfway around the lake. The terrain is mostly downhill, with some ups and downs, and a net loss of around 1,000 feet. We will pause above Cleetwood Cove, look for the floating tree trunk called Old Man of the Lake, and enjoy great views across the lake to where we started.

Day 5: On the third day on the loop, we climb back up 1,000 feet on the Rim Drive. If we are making good progress, we can drop our packs and head farther up on Mt. Scott for a better view and some fun downhill skiing. We then get back on the Rim Drive and ski down 1,000 feet to Kerr Notch. Our target camp for this day will be after the avalanche-prone slope on the Dutton Cliffs.

Day 6: On this fourth day on the loop, we briefly climb 400 feet and then it is essentially 1,000 feet downhill back to the visitor center, where our cars are parked. Along the way we will make a detour on the Sun Notch trail to catch a final view of Crater Lake and marvel at the sight of Phantom Ship island. After we safely ski past our last avalanche-prone slope, we glide gently downhill to the trailhead. We then drive back to the lodge and check in for one last night. Celebratory dinner on this day will be at a nearby café – included in trip price.

Day 7: After breakfast in the cabin we will pack up and drive to the Medford airport. For those who rented ski equipment locally, we will drive you to the ski rental. For those of you staying in the area, we will drive you to your hotel or rental car reservation.

Important note: Leader will make every reasonable effort to meet the goals outlined in the itinerary. Please keep in mind that weather is still unstable in April in Southern Oregon. There could still be sequential days of rain or snow. Our 4-day circumnavigation schedule gives us some flexibility to shift the length of our ski days. If conditions are not truly suitable for snow-camping (e.g., persistent rain with little chance of drying wet gear), we could do lodge-based day skiing, but that cost is not covered by the trip budget. Because of the technical nature of this activity, the leader may ask a participant to withdraw for the safety of the group after the 1st-day skills evaluation. Potential participants need to ask the right questions and have sound self-assessments in the trip application and interview process.

Getting There

Transportation to Medford, OR will be on your own. Trip participants will be picked up at the Medford International Airport and returned to the Airport at the conclusion of the trip. All transportation to ski areas and other activities during the planned portion of the trip is provided. Participants who plan to use their own cars and have all their gear can drive directly to the lodge, but be aware that the Park charges an entrance fee. Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

The main part of the trip involves 4 days of backcountry skiing and 3 nights of snow-camping. It will require participants to ski with a large backpack that can fit all your winter clothing and personal items, a 10ºF (or below) sleeping bag and pad, tent (individual or shared), and group items (share of backcountry meals for 4 days, cooking gear, snow shovels, and safety equipment).

The trip includes 3 nights’ lodging and all breakfasts, snacks, lunches, and dinners. We will be staying in a large cabin at a resort about a 30-min drive to Crater Lake National Park. The cabin has two bedrooms, each containing 2 bunk beds. Depending on composition of signups, we may not be able to have men and women in separate rooms. The cabin has a furnished living room with wood stove, full kitchen and dining room, 1 bathroom with tub/shower, washer and dryer. Participants may choose to book and pay extra for their own private rooms at the resort.

Trip Difficulty

Participants must come prepared for the rigors of spring ski-camping in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. This trip is for skiers at the intermediate level and experienced snow-campers. Please read the following carefully to assess your skiing and snow-camping skills and decide if this trip is a good choice for you.

Novice Skier (not sufficient for this trip):

• Reasonable skill in the basic techniques: diagonal stride, sidestep, kick turn, step turn, snowplow, and snowplow turn, including the proper pole placements for these moves.
• Can control speed on gradual downhills and sidestep steeper pitches
• Physical fitness: Able to ski 2-5 miles on rolling terrain, and 2-4 hours of skiing

Intermediate Backcountry Skier:

• Proficiency in all the basic requirements above, plus the traverse and herringhone on moderately steep terrain.
• Physical fitness:
• Able to climb and descend (a) long and moderately steep, and (b) short but steep sections
• Good stamina: ability to ski 8-10 miles, make 1,000 feet climbs, and 4-6 hours of skiing
• Proficiency in putting on, skiing with, and taking off climbing skins
• Proficiency in applying glide waxes
• Proficiency in edging and moving on icy steep slopes (e.g., side slipping) – a hard fall with a full pack will not be pleasant
• Awareness of avalanche dangers and how to minimize risks. The Park has created avalanche bypass routes for the two most slide-prone areas: Sun Notch / Vidae Ridge, and Kerr Notch / Dutton Cliffs. However, the Dutton Cliffs bypass is extremely steep and challenging.

Ski-camper:

• Although there are similarities between summer camping and snow-camping, some aspects become critically important on snow:
• Know how to stay warm
• Know how to stay hydrated
• Know how to keep your gear organized and dry
• Know how to set up your tent securely
• Coordination, flexibility, and strength:
• Able to ski with a large loaded pack
• Able to get up by after a fall with a heavy pack, by yourself, without extraordinary efforts.

Equipment and Clothing

You will need backcountry skis or metal-edge touring ski package sturdy enough for turning with a multiday backpack. Waxless skis with metal edges and kicker skins are the most appropriate for this trip. The trip leader recommends 75mm telemark boots/bindings, but the New Nordic Norm Backcountry (NNN BC) boots/bindings could work too – they are more robust than just NNN boots/bindings. All-terrain (AT) skis, although commonly seen on this route, can be overkill unless they are very lightweight.

Adjustible and more durable poles will be appropriate for the varied backcountry steep terrains. You don’t need large baskets designed for powder, but large enough for spring soft snow conditions.

The trip leader will provide lightweight floorless Black Diamond Mega Light tent that can shelter three people and gear comfortably in winter conditions. Participants can bring their own four-season tents if they wish, to use individually or to share.

The trip leader will also provide a separate Mega Light tent to serve as an outhouse shell and to provide privacy for changing and personal hygiene. Solid human waste must be buried at least six inches deep in the soil, but since it is not often feasible or practical to dig through the snow and frozen ground, the park recommends and we will use biffy bags instead.

Snow shovels will be provided for setting up tents and digging snow for cooking. Bear-resistant containers will be provided for food, garbage and toiletry storage (this is more for smaller critters than bears in the winter). 

A complete recommended clothing list will be sent to registered participants before the trip.

References

Please read the following for the joy, challenge, and agony of a Crater Lake ski circumnavigation.

• https://www.nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/winter-backcountry-camping.htm
• https://www.nps.gov/crla/planyourvisit/upload/2010-avalanche-bypass-handout.pdf
• https://www.nps.gov/crla/learn/news/upload/Crater-Lake-Reflections-Winter-Spring-2015-2016-low-res.pdf
• http://www.skimountaineer.com/CascadeSki/CascadeSki.php?name=CraterLake
• https://www.opb.org/television/programs/ofg/segment/crater-lake-national-park-ski/
• http://npmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/crater-lake-map.pdf

Conservation

Despite becoming our fifth national park in 1902, Crater Lake still lacks wilderness designation to prevent degrading developments inside the park and to protect its integrity around the park.

• https://www.npca.org/advocacy/74-keep-crater-lake-wild
• https://www.gamewarden.org/preserving-crater-lake
• https://www.nps.gov/articles/airprofiles-crla.htm
• https://environmentoregon.org/programs/ore/protect-crater-lake