Maxwell Butte (Oregon Cascades; 6,229')

Maxwell Butte is a minor summit just west of Three-Fingered Jack. In summer it is an easy trail hike, but in winter it can be quite challenging, depending on conditions. Unfortunately, it is west of the Cascades crest, so the snow more often than not is awful. The main reason why I go there so often is that it is a mere hour's driving from my home.
Topo Map

Routes: W/S Side (moderate ski descent)

Maxwell Butte from Twin Lakes in December

Date: December 17, 2005
Party: DB solo
Route: W Side
Equipment: AT Skis
Time: Sno-Park - Summit 3 hrs 30 mins
Roundtrip from sno park 7 hrs
Comments: Very icy conditions

Trip report:

The weather had been very cold and dry for weeks, and I was eager to get out. I opted for Maxwell Butte, since it's a short drive. That was okay, but I opted for skis, which was a mistake; snowshoes would have been better.

I got a leisurely start, and the driving on icy roads was very slow, so I got going from the sno park only at 9:40. There was snow down to the snow park, and the surface was extremely icy. I figured it would soften up later, and got going. There was a good snow shoe track to Twin Lakes, and it took me only 75 minutes to get there. An icy wind was blowing across the lakes, so I put on a shell, ate something, and continued. The snow got a little better once I reached the meadows, but the wind got even stronger. Santiam Pass was fogged in, and the wind was driving the fog across the pass. Once I got a little higher I could see Mt. Washington and the Sisters hovering over the fog.

I went up straight the west side, which was okay for a while, but the last 150 vertical feet or so were a desperate struggle on hard ice between the trees. I cut right (south) and gained the ridge just below the summit ridge, then I traversed below the ridge line in a full-blown gale. The view from the summit was impressive, but the wind made it a very inhospitable place. This, plus the fact that I figured going down would take a while on account of the icy conditions, and that I had forgotten to take a head lamp, made me postpone lunch until I was back down in the meadows.

I skied down the south side in hopes of finding less icy conditions than on the west slopes. This turned out to be the case, and I managed to link turns down the open slopes. Then came the awful traverse back to the west side. I always ski down too far and get caught in a terrain trap with extremely dense vegetation. The meagre snow cover did not help, and on several occasions I had to take my skis off to climb over and under tree trunks. Progress was extremely slow for a while. By the time I finally intersected my tracks I was actually below the meadows, and skied down to Twin Lakes. There the wind was still so strong that I continued, and finally had lunch at 3:30pm in a sheltered spot on the trail. The trail down to the highway was just as icy as it had been in the morning, and what can be a very enjoyable glide was a constant struggle for control. I got back to my car just after sunset.

Maxwell Butte is not an ideal ski mountain to start with, and today snow shoes would definitely have been more sensible equipment. The views were very impressive, though.

Photo Gallery:

Click the pictures to see a higher resolution image

Approaching the meadows. Mt. Washington and the Three Sisters above the fog. Three-Fingered Jack from the summit. View of Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood from the summit. View while going down the south side. Notice the "breaker" feature in the fog pattern!

Date: December 21, 2003
Party: Dietrich and Paul Belitz
Route: West/South Side
Equipment: AT Skis
Time: Sno Park - Summit 3 hrs 30 mins
Roundtrip 6 hrs 30 mins
Comments: Bad, crusty snow, rainy.

Date: December 23, 2002
Party: Dietrich and Paul Belitz
Route: West/South Side
Equipment: Touring Skis
Time: Sno Park - Summit 3 hrs 25 mins
Summit - Sno Park 1 hr 30 mins
Comments:

Date: January 23, 2000
Party: Dietrich and Paul Belitz
Route: South Side from MB Sno Park
Equipment: Touring Skis
Time: Sno Park - Summit 4 hrs 45 mins
Roundtrip 7 hrs 45 mins
Comments: Bad conditions on last few hundred vertical feet.

Date: January 19, 1999
Party: Dietrich and Paul Belitz
Route: South Side from MB Sno Park
Equipment: Touring Skis and Snow Shoes
Time: Sno Park - Summit 4 hrs 15 mins
Roundtrip 8 hrs 15 mins
Comments: Tough going up the south side

Date: December 22, 1997
Party: DB solo
Route: West Side
Equipment: Snow Shoes
Time: Sno Park - Summit 5 hrs
Roundtrip 8 hrs
Comments: Deep soft snow.

Date: December 18, 1996
Party: DB, Dave Cohen
Route: West Side
Equipment: Touring Skis
Time: Sno Park - Summit 3 hrs 45 mins
Roundtrip 8 hrs 15 mins
Comments: DC lost a binding and had to walk out.

Date: November 10, 1996
Party: Family (to Twin Lakes), DB solo (to summit)
Route: West Side
Equipment: None
Time: Sno Park - Twin Lakes 1 hr 45 mins
Twin Lakes - Summit 1 hr 20 mins
Comments:

Date: January 13, 1996
Party: DB solo
Route: West Side
Equipment: None
Time: Sno Park - Summit 2 hrs 30 mins
Roundtrip 4 hrs 45 mins
Comments: Very little snow.

Date: February 11, 1995
Party: Family (to Twin Lakes), DB solo (to summit)
Route: West Side
Equipment: Crampons, ice axe
Time: Sno Park - Twin Lakes 2 hrs
Twin Lakes - Summit 1 hr 30 mins
Summit - Sno Park 2 hrs
Comments: Icy conditions

Date: January 15, 1995
Party: DB solo
Route: West Side
Equipment: Snow Shoes
Time: Sno Park - High Point at ~6,000' 4 hrs
Roundtrip 7 hrs
Comments: Deep snow, skis would have been faster and more fun. Zero visibility.

Date: January 16, 1994
Party: DB solo
Route: West Side
Equipment: Touring Skis
Time: Sno Park - Summit 3 hrs
Roundtrip 6 hrs 30 mins
Comments: Very icy conditions

Date: February 28, 1993
Party: DB solo
Route: Traverse from Santiam Pass to Maxwell Sno Park
Equipment: X-Country Skis
Time: Santiam Pass - Summit 4 hrs 40 mins
Total trip 8 hrs
Comments:

Date: December 19, 1992
Party: DB solo
Route: West Side
Equipment: X-Country skis
Time: Sno Park - Summit 3 hrs 30 mins
Roundtrip from sno park 6 hrs 30 mins
Comments:


Approaching the meadows.	Mt. Washington and the Three Sisters above the fog.	Three-Fingered Jack from the summit.	View of Mt. Jefferson and Mt. Hood from the summit.	View while going down the south side. Notice the "breaker" feature in the fog pattern!

Maxwell Butte (Oregon Cascades; 6,229')

Routes: W/S Side (moderate ski descent)

Date: December 17, 2005 Party: DB solo Route: W Side Equipment: AT Skis Time: Sno-Park - Summit 3 hrs 30 mins Roundtrip from sno park 7 hrs Comments: Very icy conditions Trip report:

Photo Gallery:

Date: December 21, 2003 Party: Dietrich and Paul Belitz Route: West/South Side Equipment: AT Skis Time: Sno Park - Summit 3 hrs 30 mins Roundtrip 6 hrs 30 mins Comments: Bad, crusty snow, rainy.

Date: December 23, 2002 Party: Dietrich and Paul Belitz Route: West/South Side Equipment: Touring Skis Time: Sno Park - Summit 3 hrs 25 mins Summit - Sno Park 1 hr 30 mins Comments:

Date: January 23, 2000 Party: Dietrich and Paul Belitz Route: South Side from MB Sno Park Equipment: Touring Skis Time: Sno Park - Summit 4 hrs 45 mins Roundtrip 7 hrs 45 mins Comments: Bad conditions on last few hundred vertical feet.

Date: January 19, 1999 Party: Dietrich and Paul Belitz Route: South Side from MB Sno Park Equipment: Touring Skis and Snow Shoes Time: Sno Park - Summit 4 hrs 15 mins Roundtrip 8 hrs 15 mins Comments: Tough going up the south side

Date: December 22, 1997 Party: DB solo Route: West Side Equipment: Snow Shoes Time: Sno Park - Summit 5 hrs Roundtrip 8 hrs Comments: Deep soft snow.

Date: December 18, 1996 Party: DB, Dave Cohen Route: West Side Equipment: Touring Skis Time: Sno Park - Summit 3 hrs 45 mins Roundtrip 8 hrs 15 mins Comments: DC lost a binding and had to walk out.

Date: November 10, 1996 Party: Family (to Twin Lakes), DB solo (to summit) Route: West Side Equipment: None Time: Sno Park - Twin Lakes 1 hr 45 mins Twin Lakes - Summit 1 hr 20 mins Comments:

Date: January 13, 1996 Party: DB solo Route: West Side Equipment: None Time: Sno Park - Summit 2 hrs 30 mins Roundtrip 4 hrs 45 mins Comments: Very little snow.

Date: February 11, 1995 Party: Family (to Twin Lakes), DB solo (to summit) Route: West Side Equipment: Crampons, ice axe Time: Sno Park - Twin Lakes 2 hrs Twin Lakes - Summit 1 hr 30 mins Summit - Sno Park 2 hrs Comments: Icy conditions

Date: January 15, 1995 Party: DB solo Route: West Side Equipment: Snow Shoes Time: Sno Park - High Point at ~6,000' 4 hrs Roundtrip 7 hrs Comments: Deep snow, skis would have been faster and more fun. Zero visibility.

Date: January 16, 1994 Party: DB solo Route: West Side Equipment: Touring Skis Time: Sno Park - Summit 3 hrs Roundtrip 6 hrs 30 mins Comments: Very icy conditions

Date: February 28, 1993 Party: DB solo Route: Traverse from Santiam Pass to Maxwell Sno Park Equipment: X-Country Skis Time: Santiam Pass - Summit 4 hrs 40 mins Total trip 8 hrs Comments:

Date: December 19, 1992 Party: DB solo Route: West Side Equipment: X-Country skis Time: Sno Park - Summit 3 hrs 30 mins Roundtrip from sno park 6 hrs 30 mins Comments: