Sweeney

I skied Sweeney on the last day in April.  The forecast was for rain, so I headed out with plans to ski for a few hours.  The weather ended up holding, so I stayed out all day and had a great time.  I ended up climbing to just shy of the summit, skiing a good long run South to Sweeney creek, climbing back to the exact summit, then bowl bouncing my way back to the car.  I did not bring a camera, so no photos. With fast conditions and a solid all day pace, I was able to eke out 10,000 vertical feet in just under 9 hours car to car, and it was great to be out all day and get tired.  The snow was just OK, but I didn't care. 

The tour.  Note the recommended run to the South.  All three northeast bowls are popular and recommended.

I think the Sweeney approach is too long, and the terrain is too scrappy and steep for good winter skiing.  But, everything is different in the spring when the road opens up to near the trailhead, and one can piece together the avalanche prone terrain more easily.  I also think that skiing South off the peak makes the tour a lot more interesting, and would highly recommend adding that into the day if at all possible.

Also, in early April, a group of Missoula's finest did a traverse from Lolo to Sweeney, and reported having a great day.  I think it would be super fun to team up with another party after the Lolo gate opens and to the traverse in opposite directions.  Either direction has good skiing, and it is a very reasonable length day.  Any takers for this spring?