Route: Northwest Couloirs

Team: Christy, Ted

The morning began much like it did for Eolus, the day before. We were moving fast. Once we reached upper Needle Creek, we headed east towards Sunlight Peak and Windom Peak. Being Memorial Day Weekend there were others around and the boot tracks ran in several directions. There were people nearing the summit of Windom so we went to Sunlight first. In 2000 we skied the climbing route, the Red Couloir. From Eolus yesterday it appeared this trip we could be more creative.

With the snow stacked up high near the summit block I couldn’t quite ski from within a ski pole touch but rather a probe pole. That was the closest I’ve ever seen in photos, and Christy followed. We had to make an incredibly airy side slip/traverse in the softening east facing snow high above Sunlight Lake in order to make it back around to the Red Couloir. But instead of skiing that line, we traversed all the way around to the west side and dropped in, to the northwest— into upper Noname Creek. The snow was lousy but the feel was adventurous, there are three couloirs you can ski which all head down into the Noname Creek drainage, which descend the creek for miles if you like.

But in order to get Windom skied that day as well, after descending a bit, we traversed to a pass that brought us back to Twin Lakes. Someday it would be fun to ski the line in its entirety, but we had a big afternoon still ahead of us so that would have to wait.

And we were headed to Windom.