Center Ridge to Placer: ski and float

     So when you come to the realization that both skiing and rafting are great means of backcountry travel, ideas start forming of places to go using these means.  We were inspired by a trip report from the Endure Fun Blog, but wanted to add a skiing twist.  This idea had been floating;) around and needed to be addressed.  However, due to the precise timing needed related to conditions of weather/snow/scheduling, it remained on the to-do list.

The route by land.  If snow coverage were better I would drop down to the Placer near that tiny lake on the bench.

Views from Center Ridge

     Things like this bring the Shawshank Redemption quote to mind, "Get busy living, or get busy dying."  So we decided to give it a go with less-than-optimal weather/snow.  It was raining in Girdwood, sprinkling and 40 at the Center Ridge TH with obscured summits to the East.  The snow was wet and sloppy.  We toured back Center ridge, crossed an impressive slide-path, and up to the pass that would drop us into the Center Creek drainage.
     The snow got slightly drier as we skinned higher, the lighting didn't improve much, but it did cool down and the precipitation was snow and not rain.  We encountered a corniced pass, which was expected, but had some difficulty getting over/around it.  Once on top, we realized it was not several cornices, but one large cornice along the entire pass with mini(but massive) cornice protrusions.  We were still alive.

The white box at higher elevations

Yikes.

Ahh, the ski down with a view.  It doesn't get much better.

     We skied down the upper elevations in a white box, but lighting improved as we descended and snow quality worsened due to the warming temps.  We skied down to Center creek headwaters and skinned(very short) up to the next pass that would drop us down to the Placer River.  Views of Center Creek drainage and Placer/Spencer area were incredible from up high and the ski lines back there are massive.  We had some wet-snow slide conditions to manage but made it without too much difficulty.  By now the weather was primo: sunshine with scattered clouds, a slight breeze and warm.
     To this point it took us 6 hours.  We skied/bushwhacked/hiked down to the Placer, filled the boats and floated out.  The float took us just about 4 hours.  It was nice to take in the views while resting the legs and enjoy it without the rush of darkness coming.  We only saw birds and beavers, no other wildlife.
     I would like to try this route earlier in the season, at the earliest chance the Placer is free of ice enough to float: get info from someone with a plane.  This would make getting down there from the pass much easier with better snow coverage/consistency at the lower elevations.  I would not like to try this route once things start to grow.

Down the Placer

Spencer Glacier, Placer River.

Center Ridge to Placer 4-2015 from chugach ress on Vimeo.