14 routes · Freeride Skiing · Ski Touring

Dogleg
Crystal Mountain
Mount Rainier National Park
This north-facing chute starts in the open and doglegs through the trees.
Ski Touring Extreme
- Distance
- 450 m
- Ascent
- 0 m
- Descent
- 261 m
- Duration
- 0-1 hrs
- Low Point
- 1.7 km
- High Point
- 1.9 km
- Gradient
- 44˚

On a powder day, a skin track or boot pack can almost always be seen in Dogleg from the ski area. This is a popular backcountry run, complete with cornices, cliffs, and glades. While Dog Leg is within Silver Basin, it is beyond the ski area boundary and is not mitigated with explosives. This is a steep chute and can easily avalanche. Proper avalanche equipment is a must on this run. Approach either from Silver Basin via Chair 6 or by skinning/hiking from the top of Quicksilver Chair through the Silver Basin return trail. Watch out for oncoming traffic and stay to the side. Skin to the top of this narrow chute through the glades and open terrain just north of this narrow chute. If the chute itself is sloughed out, the uptrack bowl often offers great turns. But if the narrow chute is what you're after, drop in carefully. A few trees choke the upper chute and must be navigated. While the chute is wide enough to link turns, it feels narrow and intimidating. Thanks to trees and rocks shading the chute, the snow often stays soft days after a storm. Below the chute the terrain opens again into a beautiful glade. Pick up your skin track again for another lap.
Difficulty
Extreme
Extreme skiing terrain above 45 degrees. These routes are reserved for experienced experts.
Features
- Trees
- Cliffs
- Walk Required
Equipment required
- Skins