Jan 21, 2019, Pow in the Wonder Gully
1/21/19
1353
3
It was Meira's first tour up to the Wonder Gully. We had heard from friends that it skied great on Sunday and decided to do a morning tour.
The drive up the pass took us through some moderate rain and snow, and in the parking lot mid-level clouds obscured the peaks. Would we be able to see up high?
We skinned up the Alpental valley, taking the newly advised track that enters the woods looker's right below the Mushroom couloir. The track was well-set and not too blown out by snowshoers, so it really wasn't less efficient than the other way everyone goes right underneath all of the Back Bowl avy terrain. However, Alpental patrol has been a bit crazy with the signage. The most efficient way is most certainly NOT to go right at the end of the groomed trail, where they have a sign pointing towards the summer trail. Instead, keep going straight up the valley, low, until you pass underneath the runout of the Mushroom and start climbing in the woods to the right.
Anyway, we had a pleasant climb up an already set skintrack and reached the col above our line in less than 2.5 hrs. It was socked in and snowing lightly. We took our time on the transition, chatted with a boarder who was heading to Kaleetan, and sang a bit of the old "Salty Dog Blues" to pass the time. Sure enough, halfway through the song, the skies started to open. The rest was gravy!
P.S. Our friends found some people skinning and hiking up the couloir on Sunday. Don't do this! Would you rather have a pleasant tour with a short exposed step, or a heinous bootpack beneath a large cliff waiting to unload snow, ice, rocks, and who knows what else on you?
The drive up the pass took us through some moderate rain and snow, and in the parking lot mid-level clouds obscured the peaks. Would we be able to see up high?
We skinned up the Alpental valley, taking the newly advised track that enters the woods looker's right below the Mushroom couloir. The track was well-set and not too blown out by snowshoers, so it really wasn't less efficient than the other way everyone goes right underneath all of the Back Bowl avy terrain. However, Alpental patrol has been a bit crazy with the signage. The most efficient way is most certainly NOT to go right at the end of the groomed trail, where they have a sign pointing towards the summer trail. Instead, keep going straight up the valley, low, until you pass underneath the runout of the Mushroom and start climbing in the woods to the right.
Anyway, we had a pleasant climb up an already set skintrack and reached the col above our line in less than 2.5 hrs. It was socked in and snowing lightly. We took our time on the transition, chatted with a boarder who was heading to Kaleetan, and sang a bit of the old "Salty Dog Blues" to pass the time. Sure enough, halfway through the song, the skies started to open. The rest was gravy!
P.S. Our friends found some people skinning and hiking up the couloir on Sunday. Don't do this! Would you rather have a pleasant tour with a short exposed step, or a heinous bootpack beneath a large cliff waiting to unload snow, ice, rocks, and who knows what else on you?
more pics
So fat! Well played.
Looks like your timing was perfect, don't know that country but it looks like a great ski!
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