Bucket List Trips: The PNW Volcano Spring Roadtrip

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NOTE: We all have a bucket list of ski trips, but prepping for your next big adventure can seem pretty overwhelming when it comes to choosing what to bring. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world for the last decade with skis in tow, and have learned a thing or two worth sharing about what kind of gear to bring to maximize the fun and minimize the stress. It’s worth noting that my recommendations are independent, come from learning from my own mistakes, and highlight things I’m truly excited about. This series is aimed at the generalist skier who’s interested in it all - powder, freeriding, some hiking and touring, the occasional shit-your-pants steep skiing moment, and most of all, adventure!

Check out the rest of our Bucket List Trips Guides here.

Every time I walk up a volcano in the spring for a ski mission, a really dumb thought crosses my mind: why are the words “volcanoes” and “canoes” pronounced differently? Would it be funnier if they were both pronounced like the latter? Maybe it’s the internal entertainment I get from those kinds of things that keep me going when slogging for thousands of vertical feet in pursuit of perfect corn skiing. Or maybe it’s the incredible feeling of being out and about with friends high above the surrounding landscape on a clear day with views extending to the Pacific Ocean knowing nature’s groomer is beckoning below with flip flops and a cold beer and snack back at the car.

It’s May, so it’s finally volcano season in the PNW, and I keep returning to the age-old question of “what gear should I bring?” For the past few springs, I’ve made a sort of pilgrimage to the PNW in search of late-season ski objectives, knowing that there are excellent turns to be had all along the Cascade Range from the slopes of Mount Baker near the Canadian border all the way south to sunny Mount Shasta. It’s well within reason to attempt a few of these objectives within a spring weather window, and luckily, the same setup will happily get you up and down any of them.

Skis: Something versatile, mid-weight, and sub-100mm underfoot

I tend to see tons of folks skiing sub-85mm underfoot skimo racing skis on volcanoes in the springtime, descending uninspiringly in the backseat, and always ask myself “do you like to have fun?” All jokes aside, I get that big peaks are a good place to be weight conscious, but if you’re going to slog all the way up for one run down, why not bring something you’ll actually feel good skiing down on? There’s plenty of really good options for skis that aren’t so heavy as to weigh you down unnecessarily on the ascent, and give you a solid platform, quiet ride, and really edge hold on the way down. Carving high speed turns on good corn is one of life’s greatest pleasures, and I really think it’s best enjoyed on a versatile, directional, 95-100mm ski that weighs between 1200 and 1500 grams.

I typically size down a few centimeters from what I’m normally riding. That’s a great way to save some grams, while also making it easier to perform kick turns on firm snow in exposed places - not to mention I find it much easier to make jump turns on short skis.

Living in the Tetons, I tend to spend most of the season touring on skis over 105mm underfoot, so switching over to something skinny takes a few turns to get used to every spring. I’d definitely suggest learning the nuances of whatever ski you choose at home, ideally in a resort, and definitely somewhere that’s not the first few feet off the summit on the icy heights of a Cascade volcano.

Some great options in this category are the 95mm-underfoot Black Crows Camox Freebird, the 90mm-underfoot Black Crows Orb Freebird, Faction’s 99mm-underfoot La Machine 2 Mini, Atomic’s updated Backland 95, the Majesty Superpatrol Carbon, or the venerable Blizzard Zero G 95. Or go take Cy's advice and mount up a pair of WNDR Alpine Nocturne 88s, one of the weirdest, yet funnest skis out there.

Bindings: Light tech bindings without the bells and whistles

You know me, I like light tech bindings. I would say that it’s definitely not a hot take that they are perfect for this kind of skiing. Ideally, you’re ascending lots of vert to ski a smooth slope all the way back to the car. You might be bootpacking quite a bit, so a low profile, brakeless and lightweight tech binding (no brakes) will keep your setup slim and streamlined in your pack. Great options here are the Marker Alpinist, ATK Haute Route or Kuluar bindings, Dynafit’s Superlite 150, or perhaps something even lighter like a full-on skimo race binding. I don’t typically ski with binding leashes, but they can be a good idea in glaciated terrain to keep things attached if you fall into a crevasse.

Boots: Something light and comfortable with a generous walk mode

I’m not normally a fan of anything but 4-buckle touring boots, but this might be the one exception to my rule. Sure, I definitely think it’s appropriate to bring a beefier boot up a mountain like this–they will always ski better–but having the added walkability of a lighter skimo boot is nice for days where you are, in fact, mostly walking. Besides, these boots are designed to work best with the type of ski I’d be bringing, so there’s that. One thing to know is that not all two-buckle skimo slippers are built the same. They might all be pretty light, but only some of them actually ski well.

Go for something that’s actually stiff enough to ski well, like a Tecnica Zero G Peak Carbon, Dynafit Blacklight, Dalbello Quantum EVO or Scarpa F1 GT. These types of boots are somewhat finicky to fit properly, so don’t hesitate to enlist the help of your trusted local bootfitter and get creative with shims, padding, custom liners, and more.

Apparel: Ultralight hardshells or windproof softshells

Throughout the winter, I tend to wear the same type of stuff all year, adding or subtracting a layer depending on temps–relatively baggy Gore-Tex garments with a more freeride-oriented fit. Come spring, my apparel choices tend to get a little bit tighter and more technical, where I’m focusing on balancing ease of movement with as light of weight as possible while still staying warm and dry in the elements. Volcanoes can quickly turn from sunny and warm to windy, cold, and wet vortexes of misery. If I’m 100 percent certain I won’t encounter anything but sun and high temps, I’ll wear windproof softshells top and bottom, but if there’s any uncertainty, I’m sticking to hardshells. Even if there’s no active precip, blowing snow combined with the higher humidity found in the PNW can soak you to the bone in seconds, so the added waterproofness of a hardshell is really nice.

Some of my all-time favorite options are Patagonia’s new M10 Alpine Anorak, a supremely packable and super light alpine climbing shell that works excellently for ski mountaineering. I’m also a big fan of RAB’s entire Khroma Diffuse kit, which definitely leans a little more freeride but is so light and packable I love it for this purpose.

Another really important thing to carry is a very warm puffy jacket. Somewhat surprisingly, the coldest I’ve ever been skiing has been on volcanoes, particularly when the wind unexpectedly picks up and you’re still slogging to the summit. I’ll actually carry a warmer down puffy on these kinds of days than I would mid-winter in the Tetons, where the dryer air doesn’t seem to bite as badly as the humidity in the PNW does.

Pack: 40 Liters to Freedom

For single-day volcano missions, a 40L pack will easily fit everything you might need to carry. Please do us all a favor and carry your full avalanche safety kit - beacon (on your body), shovel and probe. Just because it’s spring doesn't mean there’s no avalanche hazard. Don’t be a dingus.

You’ll want enough room to fit that large puffy, any technical gear, potentially a rope, and likely more food and water than you’d carry mid-winter. Some great lightweight options are Patagonia’s new Descensionist 40L, BCA’s Stash UL, the Hyperlite Crux 40, or Ortovox’s Peak Light 38 S. These are all comfortable, well-designed packs designed specifically for ski mountaineering that can carry it all.

Technical Gear: Ice ax, crampons, glacier gear

This part very much depends on the particular objective you’re heading towards, so do some local research here. For most non-glaciated volcanoes, a simple lightweight ski mountaineering ax and set of aluminum crampons will suffice. There are great ax options like the Petzl Gully, Blue Ice Akila, or Black Diamond Venom LT. For your feet, look for collapsible aluminum (or steel front point) spikes like the Petzl Leopard, Blue Ice Harfang or Black Diamond Neve Pro.

For anything glaciated, like Mount Rainier or Mount Baker, or certain routes on other peaks, you’ll want a personal lightweight harness, some UL ice screws, and a ski mountaineering glacier rope system like the Petzl RAD system.

Finally, don’t forget your ski crampons.

A few extra things you might want to think about carrying on a day like this:

From a headwear perspective, I’ll ditch the freeride lid and usually ski with a lightweight ski mountaineering helmet like the Black Diamond Vision. That will sit on a buff and a running cap (choose your favorite) and I’ll rock a pair of big sunglasses. Read Anneka’s take on some good options here. If the weather is really going to be bad, I’ll also pack some goggles.

Another good thing to consider carrying is a water filter or purifier - I run out of water almost every time I ski a volcano, and the beauty of springtime is that the creeks are full of running water on your egresses. Bring a lightweight water treatment system like a Steripen or the much cheaper Lifestraw and you won’t hate yourself on your next bushwhack exit.

Finally, get a high-quality headlamp. Your morning (and the subsequent day) will rely on it. I like the light weight of rechargeable options like the Biolite 325, but it's good to have a AAA-battery powered backup just in case.