Please make an appointment for bootfitting.
The Sawtooth Mountains are a steep skiing paradise with endless nooks and crannies and couloirs. The line off McGowan is a special one because it runs almost right off the peak’s summit. It’s a nice dark steep couloir that doesn’t see any sun, but can get a lot of wind. It empties out into a beautiful basin with a bit of a Sierra feel to it. The remainder of the ski out is through fun rolling terrain and gullies. The ratio of approach to actual couloir on this outing is quite low, the chute itself is only 700 feet. The long approach keeps the riff-raff out until spring when the paved road to the lake melts out and a bike can shorten up the effort.
Park at 455 road past Elk Mountain RV Resort. Hike or bike in and past Stanley Lake to the summer trailhead. Continue through the flats to the south to gain the large drainage that runs down from the peak out and to the Northeast. There are some ridges to follow for skinning, but eventually it’s best to drop into the large gully and follow it up until it opens up into rocky alpine. Trend right, to the west and up into the basin and the toe of the couloir.
Long approach when road is closed
Hit this one in the spring when the road is melted out and use a bike to make the approach easier.
