The Magic S Loop

The Magic S Loop is a scenic and adventurous tour of remote country on both sides of the Cascades Crest.

Often referred to as just the 'S-Loop', this creative traverse covers a ton of varied terrain across five distinct drainages. From Cascade Pass, the route follows the Ptarmigan Traverse contouring steep slopes under Mix-Up peak en route to Cache Col. A scenic descent above the Middle Fork of the Cascade River takes you under Magic Mountain and around Art's Knoll, where the Plan B couloir offers a steep climb to gain the upper slopes of Hurry-Up Peak.

The largest descent of the loop runs for thousands of feet down the S-Glacier, navigating down a major, steep North face. From here a short climb leads to low angle slopes below the Yawning Col, where a fun pitch down the Yawning glacier drops into Pelton Basin and then back over Cascade Pass. The full loop is a grand and committing ski tour covering complex and remote terrain. First completed by Sky Sjue and Dan Helmstadter in 2007.