ELKHORN RANGE | OREGON | UNITED STATES

All Locations>>UNITED STATES>>OREGON>>ELKHORN RANGE

Summary | 300 inches a year

ANGELL PEAK
ANGELL PEAK
The Elkhorn Mountains are a small subrange of the Blue Mountains in eastern Oregon. The Elkhorns, a north-south range, are a collection of glacial lakes and valleys that surround dissected mid-elevation peaks. The peaks top out around 8600' and are quite rocky so skiing really is not ideal until a 40" base develops. Most of the easily accessible peaks are on the fringe of treeline, so skiing is reminiscent of higher peaks in the Rockies.

Snowpack
The Elkhorn Range lies on the fringe of the maritime snowpack, so the snow quality can be variable between Cascade-like heavy wet snow to light, fluffy Jackson Hole cowboy powder depending on the storm track. A storm tracking in from the southwest will bring lots of heavier snow while lows that blow down out of the Gulf of Alaska can bring light dry fluff. This creates variable annual snowpacks so do your research before you head out.

Mountains

ANGELL PEAK (0) Elevation: 8,600 ft

This is a nice peak that is about an hour skin in from Anthony Lakes. There are several shots to ski on the north side that drop down into Angell Basin, or for a more adventurous day drop in to one of the tight chutes on the south side and then skin back around to Anthony Lakes via the Crawfish Lake basin or down to the road through the Black Lake basin. The shots on the north side are all about 600-800' vertical and somewhere around 45 degrees.

LEES PEAK (0)



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Vert Tracker

Skiwaheenie: January 19, 2010 Uphill: 1,000 ft. | Downhill: 700 ft.

Really amazing cream cheese snow. Fun exploring a new mountain range in Oregon that I've driven past a hundred times, and never even thought to stop. It's really fun getting to know places that I've ...[view]

Powderjunky: January 19, 2010 Uphill: 1,000 ft. | Downhill: 700 ft.

We skied a north east facing aspect and found some real nice wind blown powder, the kind that makes you scream like a teenage girl. It was super windy up top and blowing from every direction. A super ...[view]
Image

Gsanders: January 2, 2010 Uphill: 2,800 ft. | Downhill: 2,800 ft.

Some old vert from a trip in Angell Basin. If you live in the northwest and are on the way to the Rockies consider a stopover to ski Angell Basin and/or Anthony Lakes ski area. Good routes, nice sno...[view]

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All Locations>>UNITED STATES>>OREGON>>ELKHORN RANGE
People die skiing in the backcountry every year. Avalanches, crevasses, trees, human error, weather, tree wells, rabid sasquatches, among other things can kill you in an instant. Use this guide at your own risk, we are not responsible for any wanker getting all wanked up in the wankin' backcountry. That being said, even the most experienced backcountry skier can get caught off guard. Take avalanche classes, carry a beacon, probe, shovel and avalung AND KNOW HOW TO USE THEM. Just because you buy them, doesn't mean you get magical powers of invincibility. Many people who own beacons have no clue how to operate them. More importantly than any gear you can buy, you need to know how to safely travel in avalanche terrain, minimize potential hazards, and interpret how weather affects the snowpack. This requires time and experience. Learn from others, be safe and courteous, and when in doubt go home and live to ski another day. The amount of snow needed to be dug up to rescue a buried victim, on average weighs right around an actual ton. In North America 25% of victims die from hitting trees, rocks, and other sharp unforgiving surfaces. It only takes one miscalculation to have the mountains kick your ass. Just because you see tracks or someone else skiing a line, does not mean you should ski it. Remember, individual actions affect all of us. Take care of each other out there, we are all on the same team.