Big Creek is for Big Tours. Glen to Heavenly

Heavenly Twins and my second run gully on the looker's left side of the bowl.
Looking glorious.

It was all but impossible not to scheme a few big link ups during our fabulous Glen lake tour last week, so with a mint weather day in the forecast, I went back mid week with the goal of ticking off a few more safe must-ski runs in the area.  I left the car, parked at the Big/Glen road intersection, at first light.  It was pretty nice to have a skin track for the first half of the approach, and I enjoyed watching the sunrise and getting caught up on a podcasts.  Fresh snow had covered our old track up high, but it was still able to top out on my intended variation into the peak to creek avalanche path behind Glen lake in about three and a half hours at my happy pace.

Pretty sunrise during the approach.

Snowmoblie tracks in the Wilderness.  Not acceptable.

I skied a northwest facing gully into the main path.  It is hard to see the whole line from the top, but I guessed correctly, and the ice choke in the bottom went without issues, so I was psyched.  Aside from a big water stop at the bottom of the run, the rest of the run was dreamy.  I also found a much improved stream crossing, so my emergency pair of socks spent the day happily stashed in my pack.

Through the choke on the first run and glad it went.

The first run.  Great skiing.

The goal for the rest of the day was to ski peak to creek runs, the bigger the better, so I headed up the open gully below the Heavenly Twins.  About mid-path, I struck out straight West and gained the top of my intended line,  There are two entrances, and I figured I'd try the direct one.  To my dismay, the pinch was not filled in well enough to ski, but a fairly straightforward 20 foot downclimb got me through the difficulties.  Unfortunately, the snow was quite poor, ranging from sun saturated slop to icy runnels so chunky debris.  Ah well, at least it is a spectacular line, done in good style from the top.

The second run, from the top, with feelings that it might not go.

Downclimb!

A bit of schussing back down the summer trail had me back at the base of the Heavenly Twins avalanche path.  I was a bit mentally tired, but kept it together and started pushing up the 4,400 foot climb to the summit of the Heavenly Twins.  After a lot of grinding, I made my sixth lifetime summit of the Heavenly twins.  I downclimbed about thirty vertical feet of windblown talus before putting skis on and making the monster descent to the creek.  Snow was re-freezing, but everything was skiiable, and it would have taken something exquisitely terrible to wipe the huge grin off my face from such a physically challenging and beautiful day in the mountains.

Looking out at the upper half of the Heavenly Twins run.
The descent begins behind the summit cliffs and wraps into the visible bowl.

The upper part of the Heavenly Twins was a little sharky.  Still more skiable than it looks.

Turning the corner, excited to ski a lot of breakable crust.

Totally acceptable skiing near the bottom of the Heavenly Twins run.

The egress down Big Creek is kind of long, and I was quite tired, but a nut butter packet, half cup of water, lots of hollering to keep moose at bay, and a lot of double poling and sidestepping were all it took to get out to the car 2 hours and 20 minutes after summiting the Heavenly Twins.  Something a little over 12,000 vertical feet, done in 11 hours, 40 minutes.  It was a big day by my standards.

Bushwacking. Protect your eyes and face and get some.
The badness only lasted a hundred yards or so.

Thoughts
The Bitterroot peak to creek window is always narrow, and it was great to check a few more runs off the list.  At 4,400 vertical feet, the Upper Southwest to South face of the Heavenly Twins is one of the longest clean fall line runs in the Bitterroot range.  To my surprise, the bushwack was only about 15 minutes, and the entire lower gully was full of snow and fun to ski.  If it got skied more frequently, I might even go so far as to call it a Bitterroot classic!  A long but potentially rewarding day would be to climb the Heavenly Twins via the South face, ski any of the big Southwest gullies, then climb back up to the South ridge and ski the monster run out to Big Creek.  This tour would allow for a lot of high quality skiing, and would minimize the canyon slogging up Big Creek and Bad bushwacking in Beaver Creek.

On a technical note, I speculate that the Northwest couloir variation to the Glen lake peak to creek and complete Heavenly Twins Southwest to South face link up were both first descents.  I also believe the peak to creek west of the Twins was a first descent.  As always, I would love to hear of others skiing these lines, and am especially curious about the Heavenly Twins.  

Glen Lake Peak to creek

What had started out as a planned ski date with Leah quickly snowballed into a trip with a solid group of five friends.  We headed out to Glen lake with hopes to ski whatever avalanche conditions would allow.

All smiles on the approach with the Heavenly Twins and St. Mary peak behind.

Eben, styling improvised sunglasses.

I tried out a slightly different mid elevation route on the mandatory long approach to the lakes, and it was OK, but I am still not sure it is the optimal route.  In any case the morning was clear and beautiful, everyone moved well at an enjoyable conversational pace, and we were on top of the bowl above about 4.5 hours after leaving the car.  We did see snowmobilers riding in the Wilderness over on Gash.  Unfortunately, a 911 call was insufficient to raise law enforcement.  Bad form.

Leah and Natalie schussing through the burn toward Glenn lake.

We took two short runs in the bowls above the lake and dug a couple of pits before heading over the top to check out the big 4,000 foot peak to creek run which drops to Big Creek.  Pit results had a moderately well bonded layer of concern 40 cm down, so we bypassed the two cleanest gullies in favor of a less wind loaded entrance.  Dropping in blind, I managed to totally botch the line into the main bowl and actually had to skin up briefly to traverse to a suitable exit.  But I eventually found it and directed the group through safely.  The rest of the run was amazing.  We skied excellent powder to about 5,500 feet, then navigated fun stream bottom skiing and thick but doable alder and downfall bushwacking down to the creek.  It was a great run, and it was amazing to catch it in top to bottom powder. The creek crossing was tricky, but we only had one person fall in, so it could have been worse.

Looking down the ski run.  We entered about 100 yards down the ridge skier's left.

Jeffrey heading down to Big Creek.

Leah skiing as the descent began to get interesting.

Expect an adventure in Montana, even when conditions are as good as they get.

The entire egress took a full three hours, but we ground it out slow and steady, returning to the car at dark.  There are quite a few scrappy but potentially interesting couloirs in the same cirque which could merit a return trip.  This line has an unforgivingly exposed entrance and requires a lot of snow to be good, but when in condition it is a highly recommended adventure. The first descent party climbed this run from the bottom, but I think it is best done in this manner as a loop.  Thanks to everyone for such a fun day, and to our friends in town for watching our little one.  About 6,000 vertical feet, done in about 9.5 hours car to car.

Photo taken on a different outing.
We skied the biggest avalanche path, entering near the sun/shade line.