Strauss in the West Hourglass Couloir, where we encountered the worst possible bootpack you can set, zig-zagging across the dangerous faces and cutting across the tops of rollovers. It presented an interesting dilemma: is it safer to reset the bootpack, thus, potentially weakening the snowpack by cutting off lateral tension and increasing time in avalanche terrain significantly, or to follow a bootpack that travels through the most dangerous areas but has been used three times already and is thus unlikely to cause further damage to the snowpack? We took the bootpack and I did my best to step softly and quickly. Here, we were relieved the see the bootpack took the outside line.
Cloudveil Dome
South Face of the Middle Teton with the Chounaird and Ellingwood Couloirs
Strauss at the top of the West Hourglass Couloir. The E and W couloirs are on the north face of Nez Perce and offer steep, 2,000 foot runs down into Garnett Canyon.
Strauss in the W Hourglass
Strauss, after 5,400 feet of climbing, in the East Hourglass Couloir, where the bootpack was set well, hugging the cliffs and staying out of an avalanche path for the most part. Putting my skis on here was tricky. It was very steep and barely wide enough for my skis.
Tracks in the Ellingwood Couloir
Tracks down the Otterbody of the Grand, one of the craziest routes in the range.
Strauss's pictures of this blogger.
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