Turkey Chute and Chuter Buck

Alex Norton begrudgingly performing a ski cut on the Turkey Chute, while this author performs a sitting hip belay with the use of skis as anchors.  It didn't slide.

Justin Strauss surfing down the couloir as usual.

Davey Crocket Mitchell coming down

The team heads towards an unnamed couloir beneath 10,696.  I doubt we were the first ones to ever ski it, but we named it anyway.  "Chuter Buck" was the name of choice, since Turkey Chute is close by and so is Buck Mountain.  Alex came up with it.

We were trying to assess how big the two cliffs in the couloir are, and how steep the entrance.  Guesses varied from 20 to 50 feet.  We were all very intimidated looking up it, and started coming up with other ideas for what to ski.  But then, what the hell, we've got a rope, climbing gear, a deadman, we could make something work.  As long as it wasn't too steep and narrow.

We noticed a team of four working their way down the 4 Hour Couloir on Shadow Peak, which looked awesome.  Then there was another team coming down Chute the Moon above us.  But we figured with the Turkey Chute and Chuter Buck, we had the lines of the day.

Davy getting ready to drop the second cliff.

Alex looking over the edge of the first cliff.

This linkup was one of the best tours of the winter.  Very rarely do you get the combination of deep powder, very safe avalanche conditions, a bluebird day, and phenomenal and challenging terrain.

Barechester Mountain

We went up the ridge in the center, breaking trail through knee deep heavy, sticky powder that made your skis weigh 30 pounds.  But the views were incredible, the temperature perfect, and the powder very light and deep on the way down.

No, it wasn't snowing out and Alex didn't face-plant into the snow.  The snow-beard is purely condensation from the cold.  It was an inversion morning, -6 degrees on Jackson Lake, but it didn't feel cold, it felt long; especially for Cody who went to the bars, including the Cadillac three times, last night from 5pm to midnight, resulting in a mid-lake crossing purging.  Afterwards, he was Speedy Gonzales, not using his legs but just poling across the lake.  Somehow, Norton with his four arms (as seen in this picture) could not keep up with Cody.

Alex Norton, Justin Strauss, and Cody Lockhart

Eagle's Rest east summit

Anniversary Peak NE Couloir

Norton pulling a Zissou, Strauss doing a Klauss, and Lockhart flexing subtly

Black Hole Couloir, a 3,000 foot, steep, north facer

Summit of Barechester Mountain, putting the jackets on

Mount Moran north face, Sandinista Couloir on right side, 

the Grand Teton on the left

Strauss

Strauss

Cody

Norton

Strauss in his white room

Barechesters tracks on the skyline ridge

Shadow Peak Couloirs

Shadow Peak

We skied the couloir that isn't cliffed out (left center).  

It was unexpectedly one of the best powder runs of the season.

Christian Beckwith dropping in

"Conor are you sure it goes?"  

"Pretty sure."

CB peering into the crux; a steep and tight section that makes this perfect powder run a wee bit technical too, keeping others off it.  

North facing chutes into Garnett Canyon from Shadow

We took the center one down.  

CB dropping into the lower couloir, 

another steep powder stash with lots of slough

Death Canyon

Cody down-climbing the crux

Cody on approach to Death Canyon

The ice choke on the Apocalypse Couloir

Strauss working his way up our couloir of choice, Son of the Apocalypse Coulior

Justin Strauss and Cody Lockhart

Strauss coming out of the Couloir

Cody getting air

And convincing Strauss the landing was good

Prospectors, Death Canyon, and Albright

Don't take the lake on the way out!