Summer Stashes: Mount Daniel

It’s July. You’re fighting the realization that winter is over. You’re probably mountain biking, twiddling your thumbs, questioning if it’s smart to watch a ski movie to gear up for next year. The Xs are already on the calendar counting down the days. But if you’re strong willed and work for it, you can find skiing all year round (without blowing you savings on a ski trip to South America). “While nearly every ski option takes effort in the summer months, it’s that effort that drives the appeal,” says Jason Hummel, who traversed the Cascades in 16 days last June without hitting rock.

Here’s the latest installment of A Diehard’s Guide to Skiing All Year. All summer long we’ll be sharing the next destination to add to your list of summertime snow stashes.

MOUNT DANIEL: A CASCADE CLIMB

East Peak of Mount Daniel [Photo] Monty VanderBilt

LOCATION: Cascade Range, Alpine Lakes Wilderness, Washington
HIGHEST ELEVATION: 7,960 feet
WHEN TO SKI: Late May-August
USER INFO: A $5 Northwest Forest Pass is required for parking
MORE INFO: wenatchee.org and turns-all-year.com

“What’s cool about Daniel is that you can milk a 1,500- to 2,000-foot run out of it with all the northeast and north facing aspects. The Forest Service road is not paved or plowed so you can get stuck partway early in the season.”–John Race, Founder of the Northwest Mountain School

If you missed out on last week’s Summer Stash location (unlikely we know), check it out here.