The Skiing Forum

This Forum appears to be long since dead but i will give it a shot anyway.  I am an experienced backcountry skier in Bozeman and I'm looking for partners to do some ski mountaineering with this spring.  There are many targets in the Beartooths, Absarokas, Northern Gallatins, and Madison Ranges.  Single day and 2-4 day missions. I have a fairly flexible schedule and am looking for someone who is motivated and not flaky.  I know ya'll exist somewhere around bozeman, hit me up.

-Chris Ebeling

I hiked up pine creek over the summer and thought that it would be a very nice Alpine Tour in the winter given enough time to climb. I am worried that it might be too much for a single overnight. Does anyone know how far back the road is plowed to the base of the mountain? How long does it take to get to the upper lake? Is the skiing from the lake back down to the trailhead worth it in the spring? What about black mountain, is it skinable or does it require more technical mountaineering skills? Avy danger? Any advice would be welcome.

 Lolo Peak is Covered!  Face shot down the east ridge all day!  The bowls are in but snow avai danger is not worth the risk.  Mormon rd is now closed so a longer approch= less, to no other people!

enjoy!

I'm shooting for at least one ski day in twelve consecutive months this year so need to get October turns.  If we get some snow this weekend (forecast is promising) I'm looking for some suggestions regarding couloirs that are likely to hold some windblown snow preferably over a pack of year-round snow base.  I've skiied The Great One twice this summer already and am hoping for something different.  I scoped the Blaze last weekend and although I'm sure it's all ice right now the snowfield was very lengthy and prominent.  Other suggestions? 

My friend Peder and I camped at Glacier Lake, up Rock Creek in the Beartooths this weekend.  We skiied some nice chutes in the bowl above Funeral for a Friend. Here are two pictures.

On sunday I went skiing up RockCreek.  I had heard rumors that the gate on the pass was open and you could drive to the base of Rock Creek Headwall but unfortunately the gate had been closed.  So instead I drove up the Rock Creek road.  I was able to drive a long way, past the huge boulder to the base of Reefer Ridge.  This is further than Memorial Day last year.  A few inches of new snow and blue sky made for awesome conditions.  Time to hit it before it melts early this year.

Skiied MT Ellis today and it was deep!  It seemed like two feet of fresh.  Avy conditions were CT25-29 Q2, fairly stable, but I never trust those facets.

I'm looking to talk to anyone in the Bozeman area who has skied the Haute Route between Chamonix and Zermatt.  Please contact me at hellenga_gary AT bah DOT com, or at 587-9271. 

Has anybody been out earning some turns yet?  I have heard rumors but wonder about the rocks!

Pinnacles Area, Bridger Range. I've heard the name "Mordor" for this line.

Approach: From BB base area, up Slushman's return road past the bottom of Slushman's, then continuing south beneath the east face of Saddle Peak. Skinned up through some trees on the far south edge of Argentina Bowl to gain the Ridge.

Avalanche considerations: Three to four inches of high density new snow over supportable corn base. Surprisingly well adhered, with only a few snowballs moving with ski cutting and small cornice drops.