Canada. Mount Brennan. Powder

After a day of tiptoeing around deep instabilities at home, Leah and I headed north on a quick trip to Nelson, BC in search of deep, stable powder.  We found both in abundance. 

Powder high on Mt. Brennan.

Kootenai Pass

We spent the first day exploring the Wolf ridge area near Kootenai Pass.  By starting below the pass, we were able to spend the day without crossing ski tracks on any of the descents. Although we lost some time at the beginning of the day getting our bearings, we were able to squeeze three excellent long powder runs into a moderate day.  The highlight was skiing a wild dike off Wolf ridge.  

We skied the ramp between cliffs in the center of the photo.

Or maybe it was the 2,000 foot powder return to the car at sunset.  

Powder at sunset.  Time to head home.

Or maybe it was just running around in the mountains, assessing stability on the fly, and piecing it altogether - I love that game.  In any case we returned to the car after dark, cold but excited after a great day.

First run of the trip near Wolf peak.

Leah skinning in front of Wolf peak.

Dropping into the unknown off the back side of Wolf ridge.

Mount Brennan

The main objective for our trip was the spectacular moderate south face of Mount Brennan, which drops 6,000 feet from the summit to the car.  We were thwarted by avalanche danger several years ago, so it was nice to return and get it done.  

Leah arrives at the summit of Mt. Brennan!

We were surprised to share the mountain with nine other skiers.  In addition to heli skiers the previous day which included a heli drop on the summit.  We took a modified line off the summit, and were treated to first tracks down the entire upper mountain.  Aside from a little tempo effort to burn off some extra energy, we kept it relaxed and had a great day skiing powder in the mountains. 

Above the undercast on the upper peak.

Leah skiing off the summit of Mt. Brennan.

Still skiing.

Skiing above the undercast on the upper mountain. 

I like skiing.  Still 3,000 feet to go to the car.

Icy sunset on Brennan.  The ski run takes a low angle ice field on the other side of the visible ridge. 

Note:  There is a lot more to do on Brennan, especially if one can put in honest 10k days.

Whitewater sidecountry

We took a spin on the Whaleback near Whitewater resort before driving home for New Year’s festivities.  This is a popular side country area, but the run was great, and snow ghosts along the skin track made for a memorable climb.

Another day, another assembly of snow ghotsts.
Climbing the Whaleback before heading stateside for New Year festivities.

Early season skiing, 2016

I was elated to return from Minnesota to primo ski conditions.  It was great to jump right back into skiing, and although none of the first dozen or so ski days have been particularily long or adventurous, the skiing has been great.  Here are a few photos:

Brace sticking to his tele roots at Stonewall on our first day
back in Montana. Scapegoat.

Leah skiing into the sunset at Stonewall. Scapegoat.

Andrew and Jeffrey moving on Little St. Joe during a long afternoon tour.

First climb of the "normal" full Lappi lake tour with deep powder
and a big crew a few days before Christmas. Bitterroot.

First turns during an afternoon spin on the Pinball Wizard gully.
It could use more snow, but there is enough. Bitterroot.

Enamored of crisp winter light on New Year day.  Bitterroot.

Wild spot. Kyle in front of the Sweathouse spires. Bitterroot.

Nick working the steeps.  Wisherd ridge.  Rattlesnake.

Looking into the abyss off Gem lake point.
Ben/Leah:  "I think we might die if we try to ski that".
Brian: "You could be right."
We bailed.

Consolation run on Gem lake point.

Bitterroot - Highest 25 peaks

Late in the summer, I made an informal goal of climbing the last of the remaining high points in the Bitterroot before ski season. Armed with insufficient research which indicated I was only four peaks shy, I put in took two link up days to get 'em all.

Since spending and evening or two combing through maps (one of my all time favorite pastimes), I now have a preliminary list.  And a handful of unnamed remote peaks that I didn't previously know about for future adventures. The list is fairly arbitrary since I grouped several peak groups (Como peaks, Shard peaks, Heavenly Twin groups, etc), and left others split (Trapper group, Lonesome Bachelor/Como group).  I also did not include several minor high points along canyon ridge tops with less than 500 feet of prominence.

I also included some off the cuff route information.  Hope folks find it useful, and I would be excited if anyone has knowledge and feedback to sharpen it up.  Most notably, is there a common name for South Chaffin peak/The Tusk? 


Note:  For those seeking summer time Bitterroot route information, Michael Hoyt's Bitterroot guidebook is the best resource out there.  I recommend going local and picking up a copy at the Trailhead in Missoula.  Most of the information is also posted at summitpost.

Peak Name	Elevation	Summer Routes	Ski Routes
Trapper Peak	10157	Most rewarding non technical route is from Baker lake. Cowboy traverse from Trapper.	Easy access in spring. North couloirs.
El Capitan	9983	South couloir on East face to upper South face. Combine with Lonesome Bachelor and Como peaks.	Southeast couloirs would be standard. East face is perhaps the best steep skiing objective in the range.
The Shard	9883	South face. Northeast ridge from Little Tin Cup.	Southeast face is skiiable but over cliffs. Doable but not recommended.
Boulder Peaks	9804	East ridge from Boulder point (or Nelson lake). Or do loop traverse from Bare.	East Boulder peak has many great ski lines. Northeast face from summit is a good steep skiing objective. Only the last 400 feet are challenging.
North Trapper Peak	9801	Southeast face (4th). Or Cowboy traverse to Trapper (Easy 5th. recommended). Or North ridge (5.7 recommended).	Southeast face and couloir are skiable from near the summit
West Trapper Peak	9772	South face from Trapper approach.	Northwest couloir (not from summit) looks good.
Como Peaks	9624	From Little or Tin Cup are both rugged.	South faces. North ramp of Middle Como is OK. Northeast faces of the other peaks look challenging but doable.
Little Tin Cup Peak	9617	East face from Chaffin Creek.	East face from Little Chaffin. South face into Chaffin has a few continuous avalanche paths. Possible to combine with Tin Cup chutes?
Saint Joseph Peak	9587	From Little St. Joe. Or continue out to Stormy Joe and loop back down Bass creek.	Skiable on all aspects. Standard approach is up Southeast face.
Sugarloaf Peak	9586	North couloir. Moderate technical ridges on North face could have potential.	North couloir is a Bitterroot classic.
South Chaffin Peak/The Tusk	9485	West ridge from Chaffin Creek (Easy 5th). South face should have some good harder routes (5.10 and up?)	Not skiable from summit
Bare Peak	9459	East ridge from Nelson Lake	Northeast face. Many north couloirs which look good.
Mink Peak	9363	South face or Southwest ridge from extension of Trapper approach looks most logical	South face?
Mount Jerusalem	9355	South face.	South face looks just OK.
Saint Mary Peak	9351	Trail up East ridge. Extend to Heavenly Twins	Easy access in spring. Many east facing options. Southwest face with potential to go farther west toward Hevenly Twins.
South Heavenly Twin	9282	Southwest face. Northwest ridge is dirty easy 5th. East face is 4th. Traverse between summits is not technical. Can traverse in from St. Mary's (recommended).	Southwest face. East face is challenging but good. South face from Big creek (not from summit).
Trapper Lake peak	9260	Southeast face from Chaffin creek?	Southeast face from Chaffin creek? This one is a long way back.
Lonesome Bachelor	9185	Southwest ridge (4th) from upper Little Rock creek lakes is easiest, but it is best to combine this with El Capitan.	Not skiable. Except the Northeast face might be skiable but would be very challenging.
Whites Mountain	9162	From Bear Pass in Lost Horse creek.	Probably north side from the South Fork of Lost Horse creek.
Sweeney Peak	9161	East ridge. Or traverse from Lolo or loop from Pyramid Buttes.	Northeast face. There is some skiing farther east of the main summit.
Canyon Peak	9154	Southeast face is standard. North ridge (5.2) is recommended.	South face to within a few hundred feet of the summit. East face from summit ridge is a good steep skiing objective.
Lolo Peak	9139	Northeast face from Carlton lake. Or loop from Mill Creek and Lantern ridge (recommended).	Good skiing on all aspects
Ward Mountain	9119	Summer trail. Can traverse from Twin lakes in upper Lost Horse creek.	Summer trail. Southeast face into Camas creek is OK.
East Whites	9095	Probably from Como lake approach to Koch.	Probably from South Fork Lost Horse creek.
Koch Mountain	9072	From Como lake road.	North couloirs are highly recommended on years when the South Fork of Lost Horse creek has snow.
Little Saint Joe	9033	Summer trail. Continue to St. Joseph.	East face from Bass creek. Many options to continue further West, including Pinball Wizzard.
Stormy Joe	9003	West ridge from trail above Bass lake.	South couloirs. Many options, although not all go from exact summit.

Chaffin traverse

Looking out to the Shard from Little Tin Cup peak.

I was able to put in three solid days of mountain time before heading to Minneapolis for a few weeks, and the Chaffin traverse was by far the highlight.  An otherwise robust night of sleep at the trailhead was cut a bit short well before sunlight as opening day hunters began their parade up the Chaffin road.  Pretty cool to see folks getting after it, and they motivated me to get up eat a cold breakfast, and start moving.  The trail up the drainage to the second scree field/set of switchbacks was quick, and the climb out of the canyon went smoothly.  A quick jaunt up the headwaters of Little Tin Cup creek also went quickly, and I was on Little Tin Cup Peak about three hours into the day.  An icy wind kept me from stopping on the summit, and slippery north facing snow kept my hackles up as I worked my way around cliffs on the west ridge before walking open talus to the base of the NE ridge of the Shard.  I had climbed the NE ridge as an extension of a solo climb of the North face over a decade ago, but my memory was fuzzy, so I worked my way through what seemed like the easiest route.  It ended up involving about twenty feet of easy 5th climbing.  For those who care, one could avoid the climbing by descending a few hundred vertical feet and working west across the south face to the normal route.

Smooth sailing up and out of Chaffin creek.

Little Tin Cup creek and point from the peak.

Looking up at the technical easy 5th bits on the Shard.
I climbed the broken ledges just looker's right of the skylined trees well left of the crest.

From the main summit, I made the traverse to the West summit.  I was not sure this would go, but there is one solitary ledge system approximately 400 vertical feet below the summit that links the two peaks.  The whole connection was a bit loose and ugly, but it goes, and it is a good connection to know about.  From the West summit, I boulder hopped along, hitting a few unnamed bumps on the ridge and West Chaffin.  I had planned on ending the traverse here, but it seemed like the craggy peak further south is actually higher, so I made my way over to it.  I think I have heard this peak described as the Tusk and South Chaffin, but I would be interested if anyone knows of another common name.  It is a major Bitterroot peak. The only weakness was on the west ridge, so I climbed it, negotiating two easy 5th class steps and considerable exposure along the way.  I was pleased to find the climbing enjoyable, and it was a treat to stumble upon a technical peak since there are so few in the Bitterroot.

Looking back to West Shard from West Chaffin.

West ridge of South Chaffin.  Easy 5th.  Don't fall.

Happy to be back in the snow on South Chaffin.
Also, glad to haul out a LOT of super sketchy tat.

On the summit, a surprise little snow squall blew through, and I ducked out of the wind for a few minutes as it passed.  There was a lot of extremely sketchy rap tat on the summit which I was able to load up into my pack and haul out.  As a PSA, there are no remaining slings on the summit, but none of them would have been adequate for rapping anyway.  After a careful downclimb, I continued down the drainage past the string of high lakes.  There is a major cliffband above Tamarack Lake which I did not know about and of course botched (in the future, bypass this on the north side of the drainage) but otherwise it was a quick journey to Heart lake.  I briefly considered making the big climb to Sugarloaf, didn't have the motivation to embark on an uncertain route with storm clouds brewing. Instead, I took a long break Tamarack lake to reflect, then ran out the technical and enjoyable trail.

Moment of reflection at Tamarack lake.

I would definately do this again.  It is possible to extend to Sugarloaf for a full traverse.  Something north of 7,000 vertical feet and 15 miles, done in roughly 11 hours car to car.

The evening before, I ran the Palisades loop, shortcutting the road switchbacks to tighten it up to a sub 15 mile affair.  I caught the sunset on the crest of the range, and was back to the car only a few minutes after turning on the headlamp.  It was fantastic.  The day after Chaffin, I did a 30-mile loop around the head of Piquett creek.  Unfortunately, the trail was washed out and choked with downfall much of the way, so it was a poor outing overall. Aside from checking out a new area and enjoying another great fall day, the only real highlight was climbing Piquett mountain.  Also, it was good to end the three day block of playing and training fully whopped. In the future, it would be much more expedient and enjoyable to climb Piquett from Little Boulder Creek, further up the West fork.

Beta: Shard Main/West summit connecting ledge, Cl3
There is a narrow ledge which connects the Main and West summits.  From about 400 vertical feet below the summit, rougly half way up the face, traverse straight west on the broadest ledge.  It will be obvious if you are on the wrong ledge, because it will cliff out.  The ledge continues into the deep couloir between the two summits.  It is vey dirty and loose in the cleft, and might seem fairly desperate for Class 3.  From the cleft, 3rd class ledges lead to the West summit.  I think it might be easier to find this ledge from the West summit.

South face of the Shard.  Main/West summit connecting ledge rougly takes
the orange ledge mid-face and wraps into the gully on the left margin of the photo.
Photo: Michael Hoyt.

This is the ledge I took to get from the main Shard summit to the West summit.

Ugly/steep/loose dirt between the summits.
This would be covered in snow most of the year.

Sheep to Mile ridge traverse

Andrew and Jeffrey had to return to responsibilities after our Hilgard day, and it is too bad, because the third day was perhaps the best.  Mile to Sheep is a high quality long mountain bike ride, and I did a heavily modified version on foot, leaving the trail at the toe of Coffin mountain and following the crest south to Mile creek. 

Looking South from Sheep.

With 50 miles over the last two days, I had some trepidation about how my body would hold up, but the whole rig felt remarkably good. I cruised up Sheep creek, spooking a few deer and marveling at the crisp frosty morning. It took less than three hours to summit Coffin via the north ridge.  I was treated to sweeping views of the southern Gallatins and Madisons from the summit, and the Tetons beckoned on the horizon.  I ran down the lid of the Coffin, chasing goats along the way, then pushed to the top of Sheep, the highest peak in the range.

Early morning views to Hebgen reservoir and the southern Gallatins from Coffin.

Jogging down the of Coffin peak.

Sheep lake from Sheep peak.  Skyline ridge in the background.

The spine of the range undulates gently all the way to Mile creek, and I worked through it, occasionally stubbing out to peaks off the crest but generally just moving in the moment and relishing the day.  The range receives heavy snowmobile traffic in winter, but in the summer it is a wild place. From the trail, I stubbed out to Targhee peak at the southern terminus of the range and took a long break, relaxing and gazing across the broad Henry's fork valley to the Tetons. The return run was fast and enjoyable.  I had dropped a bike off at the Mile creek trailhead, and a simple 10 mile downhill shuttle rounded out the day.  I was out for about 6 and a half hours, and the outing could go faster without summiting the peaks off the crest.  Highly recommended outing. It would also be fun to do a complete range traverse, continuing to Baldy and Lionshead, but the shuttle would be much longer.

Nearing the Mile creek trail.  I continued out to Targhee.  I skied Targhee peak several times in my Bozeman days, as it is moderate enough to ski with High avalanche hazard, and also has a few intriguing steep lines on the Northeast face.

Tired, happy, and ready for a shower after 3 days of mountain adventuring.