Slot Couloir on Snoqualmie Mountain

The Slot Couloir is one of Washington's most recognized backcountry ski lines, dropping roughly 1,500 vertical feet down the northeast face of Snoqualmie Mountain. Rock walls funnel the descent into a narrow slot with a defined choke section where the walls close in before the couloir opens onto an apron below.

The approach begins from the Alpental lower parking lot, skinning through the Phantom Trees zone and gaining alpine terrain via established skin tracks to the ridgeline above the couloir entrance. Total approach vertical is approximately 1,500 feet. Finding the exact entrance requires careful navigation along the ridge; the drop-in is not visible until you are nearly on top of it.

The couloir itself is steep but not extreme by Cascades couloir standards. The northeast aspect preserves snow quality well into spring, and the enclosed walls shelter the line from wind. Powder conditions persist here when south-facing terrain has long since consolidated. The choke section is the crux, narrowing to a few ski lengths wide with rock walls on both sides. Below the choke, the couloir fans out into a wide apron with consistently good snow.

Avalanche assessment is critical. The couloir is a terrain trap: any slide will funnel into the choke and burial risk is high. Do not ski this line on elevated avalanche danger days. The rock walls create additional hazard from slough and small loose-wet releases funneling onto skiers below.