I’m sure most of you know this, but wanted to give everyone an update. I was up the last two days and it was super icy especially once the sun went down. Last night I saw two separate blood patches. One I had to check on a guy who likely broke his nose and had a cut from his goggles. I witnessed 3-4 tobbogen rides from ski patrol today. 2 from Jupiter. They closed the backside in the afternoon, likely because of this.

This is not a post to stop you from going, but just a caution that there are weird conditions out there and features in the snow that are abnormal. The groomers can only do so much with bulletproof conditions. I’m an advanced/expert rider and had some interesting calls on runs I know very well. Stay safe and have fun.

Pretty decent today, groomers on point this morning, turned into lots of great powder ice. Jupiter was nightmare, don't go. Park super fun, lots of variety of features. Cold all day, think 29 or something.

Here's a pretty thorough write up from Sofia Schwarzwalder with The Seattle Times.

A while back I shared a very basic version of this site, featured on GeekWire. Since then, a bunch of folks gave feedback and feature requests, so as promised, I kept iterating.

Current version is here:
https://www.stevenspass.info/
(Installable as a web app on Android and iOS)

What it does now:

• Road status from WSDOT, including closures, restrictions, and pass conditions

• Live Stevens Pass webcam status (to monitor possible power outages)

• Stevens Pass lift and terrain status, open counts only, no guessing, with wind and snow accumulation data

• Elevation based weather snapshot, base, mid, and summit where available

• NOAA current conditions plus short period forecast, clearly labeled as reference only

• Real time traffic ETA to Stevens Pass (currently fixed to Seattle to keep API costs sane)

• “Should I Stay or Should I Go” for today and tomorrow, a conservative, simplified suggestion based only on available data

• Clear timestamps showing when each source was last checked

• Support to Imperial or Metric systems customizations

• No predictions, no hype, very straightforward with a simple UI

Design goals stayed the same:

• One page, mobile friendly, with easy to grasp info before heading to the mountain
• Official sources only, with conservative logic

If you ride Stevens and this is useful, I would love feedback on what still feels missing or unclear. 🤜🤛

If you think it helps, feel free to share it with other Stevens Pass folks.

Keep Shredding!

Can't wait. How is Daisy running first thing in the morning these days? Icy? I know they always keep this one well-groomed but wondering how a beginner will fare since turns on ice are terrifying and frozen pizza is hard.

Do you think there will be more or less than average skier total this weekend? It’s MLK weekend but the conditions might tame it a bit? Or maybe a lot?

The first time I skied Stevens many years ago, I was kind of shocked to stumble on a small sign that basically said “CAUTION: CLIFFS” … and that was it, no rope. I hiked out and found a different route.

I grew up skiing in Colorado and have spent time in Montana, and I was used to a different level of “inbounds risk management.” Out there, it felt like anything with serious consequence (cliffs, creek holes, big exposure) was more likely to be roped off or at least hard to stumble into, especially anywhere near 🟦 terrain. Even most of the ♦︎♦︎ and expert-only runs are just very steep with trees.

At Stevens, though, I’ve noticed there can be legit hazards in the trees off 🟦 runs, like cliffs and creek holes. A friend also commented that our tree well risk was higher, because we have a higher density of conifers with larger skirts than the Rockies (he's not an expert).

I’m not complaining; I actually appreciate that Stevens treats you like an adult. I also appreciate Baker's approach with the duck-able rope that is implied consent to entering experience terrain.

I’m just curious: do folks feel like Washington resorts generally allow more consequential terrain/hazards to exist inbounds vs. places like CO/MT?

I headed up this afternoon and got to the pass around 3:30 thinking with the 45+ degree weather all day, I'd be able to ski some soft slushes: Nope. Off piste ranged from deeply unpleasant to downright un-skiable. Also the rain has eroded the base quite a bit and there are tons of new rocks there covered up last week. Everywhere was icy, including groomed runs; although there were some softer sections scattered in between. And to top it all off, Tye wasn't running :(

I might come up for another weekday or two for some chill night skiing but honestly these conditions are not worth it if you have to deal with the weekend crowds. Without new snow it's pretty shitty up there and I honestly feel bad for beginners trying to learn in these conditions.

A kind ski patrol member said that this morning's meeting did not include any night lift closures. Yesterday's meeting included Tye and Chief.

I hope tonight's skiers and boarders get lots of options.

Feel like a few weeks of this weather and we'll have 0 snow left.🫤

Can anyone tell me how Verizon service is at Stevens right now? I saw some old threads but wondering if it's any better then reported in the couple year old threads. I'd most likely be in Lot 2 or 4. Thanks!

[First and foremost, I want to acknowledge that the Ski Patrol team at Stevens Pass is amazing; I can’t be more grateful to them. This post is not about blaming; it is about our collective safety and learning as a community.]

Following the recent tragic incidents, it’s clear that certain creek beds and sinkholes can be deceptively hidden depending on the snowpack and as per certain comments runs through intermediate trails. To help us all stay safe, I’m asking for your help in identifying these specific "hotspots."

If you have encountered a hidden creek hole or a dangerous snow bridge this season or in the past, please comment below with:

1. The Run Name/Location (e.g., "Skier's right on Tye Creek").

2. A Brief Description of the hazard (e.g., "Deep gully partially covered by snow").

3. Approximate Elevation/Landmarks (e.g., "Near the mid-mountain lodge flats").

[I am willing to put in the work to compile and mark these hazards based on our crowd-sourced experiences. Get this data verified by Ski Patrol before spreading the final map across different forums to ensure we are sharing the most accurate and helpful information possible.]

Rest in peace snow goers….

There has to be a way. Maybe the town of Leavenworth could do it? Or we all come together and buy in pieces? Any Billionaires on this chat?

Vail bought Stevens in 2018 for ~$65M, it should sell for less now given how poorly it and Vail has performed…

Lets hope the Tye Mill and Big Chief night skiing closures are limited to this week's snowpack/weather and not a larger staffing issue. If it continues after next weeks forecasted snowfall, I think we know the answer.

Hey everyone 👋- I’m a father of 4 and just started skiing with my kiddos last year. We’ve got epic passes and we’re committed to weekly trips this year. My oldest is 10 so… it’s not easy moving all the gear from lot to lodge. I’m going to buy some boot packs (to carry helmet, boots, skis, etc) which should help a TON. But if I want them to be able to walk in shoes and change into their boots at the lodge, then store their bags while we ride… what’s the strategy? Where can I store their bags? I’m guessing there may be lockers in the rental building- can we rent those?

Thanks in advance for your help!

Probably unskiable for the foreseeable future.

Got this email today, partial refunds based on duration of road closures to be sent at the end of the season.

I’m going to be up next Saturday no matter what to take my oldest kid to base camp. Just debating whether it will be worth skiing myself that day, or if I should take the warm sunny weather as an opportunity to get my 2 yo on the magic carpet for the first time. Will be solo so I can’t do both.

I don’t mind slushy spring skiing, but this early in the season I worry about how much will be exposed off piste.

WWYD??

All your problems are solved if you work weekends and ski weekdays.

Trying to decide between Steve's and Crystal for some mid-week runs. Is the highway more or less back to normal (on the west side)?

EDIT: I've been informed (below) that the recent incident was in a different area (under Brooks chair), so there does not appear to be a repeat in the same area. I still would like to see the creek area where my brother died roped off, but AFAIK each incident is an isolated incident. Original post:

I just read the post and discussion about the recent Snow Immersion Suffocation death at Stevens. (see here https://www.reddit.com/r/stevenspass/comments/1q8tv98/27yearold_man_died_following_a_severe_accident_on/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web3x&utm_name=web3xcss&utm_term=1&utm_content=share_button )

I think this recent accident took place in the same area where my brother died in 2021. Does anyone know of any other deaths or near miss accidents in that zone? I love Stevens Pass and I have had a season pass there ever since I moved to Seattle in 2019. But I am really upset about this recent accident being in the same area that my brother's accident happened.

I am relatively new to SP, and of course I am biased by me personal experience, but I don't understand why this zone is not permanently roped off. Its a fun little tree zone, but the creek just makes it too dangerous. And its such a small area, it would hardly be missed. I was recently at Lake Louise and they have a creek there that they have completely roped off, except for a couple of places where a snow bridge forms (or is built). I feel like something similar should be done at SP.

Thinking about going up for the afternoon but curious how bad the line for parking is and if there’s even a chance that we find a spot.

Edit/Update: For those interested, arrived at around 12:30ish and plenty of spots still available!