So, Josh and I headed out to ski Snograss Mountain, just northwest of the ski resort. Years ago Snodgrass was actually the first CB backcountry ski I ever did, and I haven't been back since, and I was excited to ski it again. Somehow despite the forecasted 80% chance of snow it was bluebird at the trailhead. The views from the trailhead are a bit different from what we normally see skiing west and northwest of town:
Josh with Snodgrass and Gothic in the background:
Gothic again:
Axtell:
Mount Bellview
...and the resort behind us:
After a quick hour and twenty minute skin we were at the top and ready to drop into 1600 vertical feet of protected north facing trees. Josh immediately found some creamy pow:
After the steep upper pitches, we ripped through some fun meadows lower down:
Before we knew it we were at the bottom and skinning the flat 30 minute road back to the car.
Overall, this is a great, easy tour that I would recommend to anyone, especially those without snowmobiles. There are lots of safe, well spaced trees that can be skied in relatively unstable conditions. However, because it is closer to the resort and farther east than where we normally tour, the snowpack is shallower and has the typical instability associated with it. Its important to be careful on the steep rollovers that exist here.
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