Mount McDougal

Mount McDougal
(10,780 feet)
Wyoming Range (NW of Pinedale)
February 24th, 2007

Mount McDougal

Through the Internet I hooked up with some AT skiers (Lindsey, Jake and Rob) from Pinedale (just over the hill from Lander). They like to ride their snowmachines way back into places and ski things that don't get skiied much (at least this time of year). Sounded right up my alley. They were kind enough to invite me along on one of their expeditions into the Wyoming Range. I was super hyped- hadn't ever really spent any time in that country. Read about some of it, drove through it once, never thought I'd score a chance to ski much of it, let alone summit one of it's famous peaks.

After a 20 mile ride on the snowmachines, we reached our approach area. Rob, Jake and Lindsey begin the climb towards Mount McDougal.

It wasn't long going up the mountain before vistas like this came into view. This is maybe a third of the way up looking over McDougal Gap. Somewhere around this area we spooked up a spike elk. That was cool. I guess, as you can see, he had grubs on the wind scoured slopes.

Looking across the drainage at Triple Peak. Tom Turiano wrote about both of these peaks in his classic "Peaks of the Greater Yellowstone". I remember them because he mentioned a "superb" 2,380 foot ski slope on Mount McDougal.

Another look at Triple Peak and lots of the Wyoming Range.

The march up hill continued. About half way up we started booting it. The ridge we were on was wind scoured and steep enough to make boots better than skis. Also had me a little concerned about crunchy scralp skiing on the way down.

Lindsey and Jake make their way up a steep section. The snow on the this side of the ridge looked pretty good.

Over the hump and up the ridge line to the final pull. Molly? (the dog) leads the way.

A frosty puppy!

Lindsey eyes the summit.

Rob approaches the final pitch.

Rob conquers Mount McDougal, for his third time with skis.

My whiskers attested to conditions at the summit- cold and windy. My nose attested even more later a couple days later. I actually scored some frostbite on it. Been a while (since my AK days) since that's happened.

The crew decides to drop a few feet on to small saddle to prepare for the ride down.

I launched from the top. Couldn't resist.

A look at the summit ridge line and bowl/ slide path below. Since it was cold and windy (40 mph gusts- great frost-bite weather), we opted not to huck the cornices and ride the gut. That would have taken a snow pit or two and maybe a cornice drop- to make me feel safe about it. Rob was comfortable with a safe ridge-line route that he'd skied before. Sounded good to me.

The K2s perched to drop a 2000 foot powder run.

Lindsey tears it up in waist deep pow!

The snow was incredible, way better than I expected. Two to three feet of nice light, fresh wind deposited snow on a stable base. Deeper as you got into the gut. I couldn't believe it. I expected scralping conditions. This stuff was the best I've skied in this year.

Lindsey poses for Powder Magazine! Ha!

Jake takes a break to wipe off the face shots.

Rob spies a line...

and rips it up!

Even ol' Shep (Rob's dog) scored some gnar.

Only a thousand more feet to go!

Looking back, before entering the trees. Absolutely incredible snow!

Jake blasts a line down to the machines.

A look back. Blue indicates our ascent route, red indicates the descent route.

Rob and Shep settle down loaded up for the 20 mile ride back.

Gotta give some credit to the machines that make it happen.

The whole crew says goodbye to Mount McDougal for the day.

What a day! Thanks Lindsey, Jake and Rob!! Way cool to get out in some new country.




Back at home, Tallulah was tearing it up. Learnin' how to use them legs. Skis are next!