N Couloir Trapper Mountain
Last week I went to Cascade Pass for the first time and saw the striking N couloir on Trapper Mountain while transitioning at alliteration col. Fast forward a week and a late-season storm left conditions about as good as ever, and Erin quickly agreed to join me for a long walk. I downed Redbull #1 for the day and we started walking at 3:15. The long walk wasn't so long and we were at the base of the couloir at 7:40. We skinned as far as the graupel would allow and then switched to wallowing... I mean booting. I was pretty grateful we both had ascent plates since progress was slow even with the plates. I didn't mind the wallowing since the snow in the couloir was fantastic and felt stable, we both knew how fun the skiing down was going to be. We topped out and hung out for a bit. The booting was pretty physical and my legs needed a minute to recover before some steep jump turns. Erin graciously offered to let me go first and I delightfully accepted. Sluff management was engaging and kept me skiing cautiously in the upper couloir. The sluff ran fast since all the new snow was light and graupely. The bottom eased off in angle and we enjoyed some really nice turns into the fan. The fan down to the lake looked like a garbage shoot but skied quite well, creamy pow. Just dodge the chonks. Elated over our fun morning we also wanted to get the hell out of there. The day was heating up and wet slides were starting like bombs off the nearby cliffy faces. I pounded Redbull #2 for the day and started breaking trail up the South Glacier. Erin took over trail breaking right as we watched a giant wet slide take out our skin track, 500ft below. The climb back up to alliteration col was hot and felt endless, but it did eventually end and we were rewarded with big turns down the Yawning Glacier. I love big turns :)
The last climb went fast and the turns back to the road from Cascade Pass felt athletic on tired legs. We shuffled down the road and made it back to the car at 3pm. It was pretty satisfying for all the variables to line up and get to ski this couloir with Erin just a week after seeing it. We have had some fun days in the mountains this winter/spring, but this one is a favorite.
N Couloir
looking back up at the south glacier and alliteration col
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