Watch: Lucas Wachs Finds May Powder High In the Cascades
It's no secret that there wasn't much pow skiing to be done in Oregon this winter. With one of the historically lowest snow years on record, ski areas all over the Cascades struggled to open, keep conditions good, and many closed far earlier than usual.
It's also no secret that backcountry skiing in the Central Cascades often takes quite a lot of walking. Central Oregon-bred skier Lucas Wachs certainly knows this.
While Central Oregon had a bit of a dry winter, spring has seen several storms that have brought snow to the highest elevations. Although a lack of snow down low means it's much more of a mission to get into the mountains, the reward can be high.
Wachs headed into the Cascades a few days ago in search of powder and, after a lot of walking, wet feet, and a 12-hour day, he found some pretty epic conditions up high. You can watch his recap below.
A peek at Wach's instagram and anyone can see he's been making the most of a weird spring in the Cascades. Last winter, Wachs also released a film called Wavelengths where he spends a few days ticking off line after line on the Three Sisters, as well as skied in Alaska and Idaho.
The latest storm cycle moving through Central Oregon has brought buckets of rain down low, thunderstorms, and even a tiny tornado warning. Temperatures in Central Oregon are expected to heat up into some more summery conditions next week.
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This story was originally published May 30, 2026 at 3:27 AM.