We headed to Tronsen Meadow, unsure if the snow conditions would be good for a full day of skiing, and found good snow coverage right from the trailhead that only got better as we climbed. The conditions enticed us to keep going all the way to Tronsen Head.
We meandered around the delightful Tronsen Meadows trail system (find a map at the Ellensburg XC Ski Club website, linked below) before reaching the Lilliby Tie Trial, which connects to Haney Meadow Trail (XC-15). At the junction we met a party of Ellensburg X-C Ski Club snowshoers who told us that the club plays a big part in maintaining the trail system. Here's a big shout-out to the ski club for the cleared trails and the good maps and signs!
A skin track led up XC-15, which climbs the creek valley between Diamond Head and Windy Knob. On our Nordic backcountry skis we needed to make a few switchbacks and kick turns to climb the steepening valley. There are a couple of steep slopes above the route that have some avalanche risk, so approach this route with caution. Near the head of the valley, the route marked with blue diamonds makes a sharp bend to the left (east) to get to the predictably windswept slopes below Windy Knob. The snow was thinner here and icy in places, but the open areas afford the first good views of the day.
It's a steep climb to the saddle southeast of Windy Knob. From here, the skin track headed up Windy Knob to the left, but the blue diamonds headed into the forest to the southwest. From this point on, we were scouting out blue diamonds and breaking our own trail. The snow was perfect, with a few inches of soft powder on a deep, solid base, so it was a joy to glide through the trees. After climbing to the southwest, the route switchbacks to the northeast to climb around a steep drainage before descending to a wide plateau behind Tronson Head and following the summertime route of Table Mountain Trail. The blue diamonds became sparser as we went, and eventually we lost them, so it was very helpful to have GPS. In the deep snow and open forest we made our own way to the summit of Tronsen Head. The views of Diamond Head and across Blewett Pass to the Stuart Range were fantastic.
After enjoying the view, we descended on mostly the same route we came in on, but ended with a glide through Tronsen Meadow. I skied with my 24-year-old son today, who remembers the Tronsen Meadow Trail as favorite route from his childhood, when he was first learning to ski ungroomed routes. It's still fun, and it was a sweet way to end a great day of skiing!
Stats: 9.2 mi, 5.25 hrs, 2,150 ft elevation
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