Fortune Peak Ski Tour | Trip Report

The Teanaway is a local’s favorite for winter ski touring, and Ingalls Pass/Fortune Peak area is no exception. In fact, Fortune Peak was my very first backcountry ski tour ever, and on this outing I was able to lead a new friend up the peak for his first backcountry ski. What goes around comes around!

The Hike Up To Ingalls Pass

It’s been a super low snow year, and there isn’t much snow sticking around at lower elevations at this point, even in early May.

The perk of this is that the road was absolutely snow (and deadfall) free all the way up to Esmeralda Basin. The downside is that we had to strap skis to our backs and boot it all the way up to Ingalls Pass before even thinking about putting skins on.

We were actually able to follow the summer trail most of the way up, crossing patchy snow that was never enough to convince us to put on skis and boots. It was a hot day, even at 9 am when we left the trailhead, which meant the snow was warming up fast and post-holing could be a bit of a problem at times.

Skinning Up To Fortune Peak

If you’ve never been up to Ingalls Pass before, the views of Stuart when you reach the saddle are absolutely jaw-dropping. It’s worth it to bring new folks out here just to see their reaction.

The bowl is northeast facing and it still was holding snow. We were able to put on skis and skin west across the basin toward the east side of Fortune Peak, following an existing skin track. Kudos to whoever set the track, because it was the perfect low-angle track all the way up to the ridge, no risers needed!

Summit & Ski Down

Last time I stood on top of Fortune Peak, the wind was beating me up and the clouds covered all the far-off peaks, leaving the views much to be desired.

Not so this time.

It was a four volcano day (and yes, I do measure good days by how many volcanos I see!), with Rainier, Adams, Glacier Peak, and Baker all looking stunning. Mt. Daniel and Chimney Rocks are front and center to the west, with Ingalls and Stuart to your north and east. You are very much in the middle of the Cascades, and boy does it feel like it.

After enjoying the views, some water, and fueling up, we ripped our skins and started heading down. We knew we wouldn’t get to ski all that much–probably just 600 feet of good skiing on the east face of Fortune, then a long traverse back to Ingalls Pass and whatever downhill we could find from there back toward the parking lot.

For hot weather (I was actually in shorts, a first for me), the snow was surprisingly un-sticky, and my 5 turns down Fortune Peak, Stuart right in front of me, were absolutely spectacular. The traverse was less so…there was some uphill sidestepping involved. Once we reached Ingalls Pass, there was 300 feet of easy downhill, then a bunch of picking our way through trees, rocks, and dirt patches until we had enough and transitioned back to hiking boots.

All in all, a good day! You can’t beat 75 degree weather, full sun, and a day to yourself in the backcountry with sweeping mountain views. Bonus points for five good ski turns, too.

Takeaways

• Bring approach shoes for spring ski tours, especially if you aren’t sure of conditions. I’d much rather hike a long way in regular old boots than walk in stiff ski boots.
• Carry extra water if needed, but mostly, just carry a water filter. It will save your butt more times than you think.