Bullion Peak

Mount Rainier National Park

These are the two main ski tours off of Bullion Peak

Ski Touring Moderate

Distance: 8.7 km
Ascent: 936 m
Descent: 936 m
Duration: 4-5 hrs

Low Point: 1.3 km
High Point: 2 km
Gradient: 35˚

Bullion peak is one of if not the easiest way to get into the high country within the Crystal Mountain area. Having a summer trail all the way to the summit, this route is straight foreword and offers some great North facing gullies to descend. While most of the route is in the trees the top 1/5 has open slopes which can take you right back to the summer trail and from their back to the ski resort base. For the most part this is a safe ski tour but since the top of the north facing slopes is open because of previous avalanches this route should be done when and if confident with the snowpack. I’ve made the mistake of being too trusting as can be read in the link below.

Snowboarding into the Skiers Left gully Photo: Andres Torres

Looking into Bullion Basin Photo: Andres Torres

Hiking up to the summit of on the Bullion Basin Trail Photo: Kyle Miller

Looking up Bullion Peak on the right Photo: Kyle Miller

Description

Starting at the base of the ski resort make your way up the groomed trail heading lookers left from the base area. Follow said groomed trail until you arrive at the Bullion Basin Summer trail and start your way up the well maintained trail. About 3 minutes into the route you will get to a flat section where you need to choose wether to go left or right. The easy way to break this down is that left is a longer but easier trail and right is faster but a bit more complicated. If you head right you need to cross the creek and with a few tight and semi steep switchbacks you are back to the summer trail.

Before long these two trails merge and from there on it is a straight forward route until wrapping around to Bullion Basin. From here it can be a bit confusing but make a hard traverse lookers right slowly gaining elevation until in the lookers right basin. From here the terrain is a bit more open but make sure to cross lower on the slope (in case there is an avalanche) where it is a bit more flat until you make your way towards the treed ridge. There is a summer trail here but it can be hard to find when buried in snow but keep climbing until you are on the northwest ridge and keep gaining elevation until on the summit.

Standing on top of Bullions Peak you have two main options either ski the skiers right line or the skiers left line. Both are nice and steep but you need to take into account wind loading. I would say that the upper face of the right side is more dangerous but the lookers left has a big gully all the way down to the flats that is a terrain trap. It is not uncommon to do both lines but usually I would start with the skiers right riding back down to my skin track before finishing the day off with the lookers left as it is a longer line. Once you’ve made it down into the flats you will have a 10 minute bootpack heading north until you are back on your old skin track and riding the rest of the way down to the ski resort base.

To see my trip in the area and more photos check out this link https://www.whereiskylemiller.com/crystal-mountain/bullion-basin/