Word on the street is that this line has some of the steepest turns to be had in Grand Teton National Park. Go see for yourself! This truly is a beautiful steep skier delight. The upper entry is very stout, luckily it’s south facing and can stabilize quickly during mid winter, or can be had in good edgy corn in the spring. But it’s still a good idea to sharpen your edges. There is an easier entry by following the rocky ridge a few hundred feet toward the Amora Vida Couloir then cutting back in over the lip into the chute, it’s still very steep, but you avoid the upper entry. The slope narrows and narrows while maintaining pitch until it pinches up nice and tight. This section can require a downclimb, or rappel, or just more skiing depending on the time of year and seasonal snowpack. The narrow section doesn’t last long and to ones great relief it spreads out again and mellows greatly in pitch as it banks back to the south. The next obstacle is a rocky band that can require some small cliff dodging and hopping. This is the final crux and the rest of the descent is a fun playful ride down to lake Tamina and out to Taggart Lake.
Park at the Taggart Lake trailhead and skin the flats to Bradley Lake. From here the terrain kicks up as you head into Garnett Canyon. Stay low in the canyon heading directly up until it opens up. From here head to the south of the Middle Teton which looms above. This is pretty gentle skinning that wraps around and up right almost to the top of the peak, but some booting on loose rock and snow is required to make the summit, which is the easiest winter climb of the major peaks in the Tetons.
Steep! Often a rocky choke in the chute
Get a good eye on the line from the parking lot or the highway into the park (binoculars can be helpful) so you know if the choke is filled in with snow, or rocky and needs a rappel.
