Please make an appointment for bootfitting.
The Elk Mountains contain some of the steepest and longest continuous runs in the lower United States and this is one of them. The North Face of the North Maroon Bell is a very intimidating looking line when your staring at it head on from the lake. So many cliffs to fall over! The reality is that it’s steep, but great skiing. The turns off the top roll over blindly on a wide slope. It’s key to ski to the skiers right to find the crux, a steep exposed rock step that gains access through the uppermost cliff band. This is a very critical move, that can be necessary to air out in thin years. Don’t blow it! The rest of the run will feel like a cake-walk after that maneuver. It continues as steep in pitch, but with some fun wide open shots in between narrow gullies and breaks in the remaining cliffs. The lowest cliff is skirted by heading out to the skiers left where it connects to the access couloir.
Park at the gate of Maroon Creek Road, T-lazy Ranch, skin up the road to the lake. From here head up the canyon towards Crater Lake, staying on the north side of the valley. Cut off to the right early towards Buckskin Pass, up the gully that leads to the basin underneath Sleeping Sexton Peak. Once you get up and out of the trees, traverse to the west and onto the snowfield below the North Maroon Bell. From here you’ll see a nice couloir to the west of the face, start up it and branch off to the left to climb the face through the cliff bands, or continue up the couloir that leads to the ridge and access to the summit by scrambling up the upper south side.
Steep exposed rocky section a few hundred feet off summit
The snow can stay good on this late into the year, so late spring can still offer up good turns and easier access once the gate is open and the road is accessible.
