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CATEGORIESEvery adventure sport worth its salt needs one: a collection of objectives so classic and challenging that it creates a set of benchmarks by which passionate recreationalists can test their skills and prove their grit. Also known as, THE LIST. In the ski world, this list might as well be etched in stone thanks to one iconic book: 50 Classic Ski Descents of North America.
Now, it goes without saying that gathering information on the steepest, tightest and most aesthetic lines on our continent requires an insane amount of knowledge, time and effort. Luckily for us, Chris Davenport, Art Burrows and Penn Newhard took on the task in early 2010. Their goal? To highlight a variety of eye-catching lines, from well-travelled and timeless zones to remote and burly lines in the high mountains of AK, Baffin and Canada. The book was published in November, 2010 and became an instant classic, providing inspiration for skiers and riders to further explore the epic peaks of North America.
While some of the 50 descents found in the book have only seen a handful of repeats, others are accessible, easy to find and even skiable for mere mortals. We’ve picked 15 classic lines in the Lower 48 that should, at the very least, get you incredibly stoked for winter!
Mt. Washington is as big as it gets in the Northeast and Tuckerman’s Ravine features big bowl skiing that is much more reminiscent of the Rockies than the White Mountains. This iconic bowl has been skied for nearly 100 years and is visited every spring by thousands of skiers and riders looking for steep corn skiing on the highest peak in New England. To access this classic zone, drive to Pinkham Notch on New Hampshire’s Highway 16 and skin just a little over 3 miles up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. You’ll know when you arrive at the bowl, trust us.
If you have ever driven west on Interstate 70 through Colorado’s Central Mountains, chances are you’ve eyed this aesthetic line. Buffalo Mountain sits just west of the town of Silverthorne and is easily accessed via Wildernest Road, which leads to the Ryan Gulch trailhead. With a descent of over 2100’ and a consistent angle of 40 degrees, this line makes for a great spring ski. However, be cautious when assessing conditions! This couloir is especially avalanche prone and has claimed several lives in recent years.
Ever since first being photographed in 1873 by William Henry Jackson, the Cross Couloir has attracted and fascinated people. In fact, many Christian pilgrims journeyed to the peak in the early 1900s and the mountain even achieved National Monument status for a brief time in the 1930s. Now, a different type of pilgrimage occurs, when ski mountaineers make the journey to ski this epic line, which drops right off the summit and descends almost 2000’ in less than half a mile.
Nestled in the Wasatch Range outside of Salt Lake City, the Hypodermic Needle Couloir slices a deep line down the east face of the Thunder Mountain ridge. While this line is easily visible from the Alta/Snowbird Ski Resort, getting to the top of it is another story, requiring many hours of skinning and several thousand feet of elevation gain. However, once on top, 1000’ of 50 degree chute-skiing awaits, followed by another 3000’ of delicious downhill to return to your car. Undoubtedly, this is one of the best lines in the Wasatch.
Towering above the suburbs surrounding Provo, Mount Timpanogos makes an enticing ski objective and the Cold Fusion Couloir takes a long and aesthetic line down an avalanche path on the peak’s northwest ridge. While it requires a little more than 5 miles of skinning to reach the top of the line, skiers and riders are rewarded with spectacular views of the Wasatch Front and nearly 3000’ of uninterrupted, 30-40 degree turns.
Horstmann Peak is often referred to as, “the most aesthetic peak in the Sawtooths,” and the Sickle Couloir slices a clean line down its north aspect. This line is a classic ski descent in every sense: it’s steep, narrow, long and is bordered by huge rock walls. With a 5-mile approach, this line can either be done as a long day from Redfish Lake or with a night in the Fishhook Creek drainage. Either way, this line is worth the effort.
No other route has the reputation of being a true ski-mountaineering test piece quite like the Ford-Stettner. Sending this route requires a wide variety of skills including climbing steep snow and moderate ice bulges, rappelling and executing steep jump turns in high-consequence terrain. That being said, this link-up of three separate couloirs on one of America’s most iconic peaks should make its way to the top of every ski fanatic’s bucket list!
The North Face of Devil’s Bedstead looks like it belongs in Alaska, the Alps or even the Himalayas. But, nope, it’s actually just in the Pioneer Mountains, northeast of Sun Valley in the heart of Idaho. The 2,500’ north aspect of the Devil’s Bedstead simply begs to be skied, with a huge face that terminates in a series of couloirs and gullies. However, hitting this line safely requires waiting for the right conditions to mitigate the avalanche danger. For this reason, most skiers wait until Trail Creek Road opens in the Spring to shorten the approach and increase the chances of good conditions.
Glacier Peak is nestled in the Beartooth Mountains of southern Montana, a zone renowned for its epic ski mountaineering, and The Patriarch is just one of many classic couloirs that descend the peak’s northeast aspect. To be clear, these are serious objectives, and the Patriarch is the arcing line that ends in a massive cliffband. The crux of this descent involves a choke barely wider than the average skis are long and a sudden traverse on a hanging snowfield to avoid cliffs at the bottom. A safe and clean descent demands solid technical skills and a cool head.
No other line in Colorado is as hallowed by ski mountaineers as this insanely steep (and insanely high-consequence) line down Pyramid Peak’s east face, which is rumored to hit a slope angle of 60 degrees in several places. First skied by Aspen local Chris Landry in 1978, this line hadn’t seen a successful repeat (despite many efforts over many years) until Chris Davenport, Neal Beidleman and Ted Mahon found a tight line through the crux rockband in 2006. Since then, the Landry Line has seen several more descents but still remains a dream descent for many skiers and riders.
If you’ve flipped through any ski magazines in the last few years, chances are good that you’ve seen a shot of Terminal Cancer. It truly epitomizes the term “pencil chute” with perfectly parallel walls that are nearly the same distance apart for the entirety of its length. Not to mention, the Ruby Mountains of Nevada hold cold, dry powder and the north aspect helps the couloir hold incredibly soft snow. The only hard part is getting out to Elko, Nevada, which is, admittedly, in the middle of nowhere.
While slightly less famous than its cousin on the Grand Teton, The Skillet on Mt. Moran remains a Teton classic. To approach the route, skiers must first skin across frozen Jackson Lake before climbing nearly 6000 vertical feet to reach the top of Moran and the “handle” of the Skillet. This line also requires glacier travel, use of axe and crampons, and careful skiing around a huge avalanche runnel that forms in the Spring. Despite all of that, skiing the upper couloir and the huge snowfield of the Skillet glacier makes for an unforgettable ski descent.
Split Mountain is an apt name for this peak, because it is literally sliced into sections by massive couloirs that descend its east aspect. The Split Couloir is a burly line, first skied by Glen Plake, which descends what is usually an ice climb. To ride this incredible line requires perfect conditions, perfect timing and a wealth of mountaineering experience. That being said, the neighboring couloirs also afford excellent adventures (without offering quite the same pucker factor).
In the backcountry just south of Mammoth lies the enticing Bloody Couloir, a nice line down Bloody Mountain’s north aspect. With its reputation for holding soft snow throughout the season and it’s visibility from Mammoth, the Bloody Couloir has become one of the most coveted lines in the Eastern Sierra. Getting to the couloir does involve a bit of an approach, however, which is why most skiers wait until spring when the access road melts out.
Say the words “Mt. Hood” to any skier and their eyes will light up. With year–round skiing on almost every aspect, this classic PNW volcano is notorious for being a skier’s paradise. However not too many skiers venture down the Newton-Clark Headwall. First skied by renowned Swiss ski mountaineer, Sylvain Saudan, in 1971, this line eases off the summit of Hood with 20-degree turns, but then quickly rolls-over into 50-55 degree steep skiing with high consequence cliffs below. However, hit it in the right condition, and you could score 1500’ of pure powder turns on one of the most exposed faces in the PNW.
So, there you have it! Fifteen classic lines to get you stoked for this upcoming winter. Remember: these committing lines don’t just require expert ski abilities, but also a solid foundation of mountaineering skills and huge amount of physical fitness. So, with that, get training, get stoked, and get ready for snow.
