Union Peak and Three Waters Mt

Granite Horse Couloir via Union Peak and Three Waters Mountain

Northern Windriver Range, Shoshone NF
April 24th, 2008

Union Peak

On our way up to Togwotee for some April powder skiing, Matt and were wondering where to go. It's always fun to go somewhere new. SNOTEL said the Northern Winds recieved the most snow out of the previous day's storm. Matt suggested trying to find something to ski on Union Peak. He'd done some summer NOLS trips in there quite a few years ago and thought some of it might have some good ski terrain. Plus, it wasn't wilderness- theoretically accessible by snow machine. I'd done a little hunting in the area, and little snow machining. I was game, however I told Matt he was the navigator. We drove up the Union Pass road just past all of the dude ranch lodges and unloaded the sleds. We were in for quite an expedition.

Matt motoring across the flats on Union Pass, looking for the trail that would lead us up Union Peak.

After five or ten miles of off-trail riding up a drainage we thought would get us up Union Peak, I finally got the Skidoo stuck. Just a few seconds after Matt buried the Polaris. Ha!

An hour or so later, we dug our sleds out, back-tracked and then tried out a better looking route up a ridge line leading to Union Peak. At this point, our day became more about exploring and riding the machines. Didn't know if we'd get many turns in.

After following the ridge up and up, finally Union Peak came into view. Five minutes of full throttle between us and the summit. Yahoo!

A bearded bobble head poses on Union Peak, Granite lake below in the background.

The view from where we parked the sleds.
(click to enlarge and read labels)

Three Waters Mountain and the Granite Horse Couloir.

It was 1:00pm by the time we reached this point. Looking down at this mountain and couloir, the question was: Should we do it? Matt said, "Well, we can just ski down there and come back if there's not enough time." I was thinking, "Yea, right- we end up down there- we're gonna go for it." I started putting on my ski boots.

First turns of the day- on Union Peak!

Weehoo!

Matt drops into fresh Union Peak pow.

Matt's line, with Three Waters drainage in background.

The view about five or ten minutes later, dropping into the Three Waters Drainage.

Matt, just a couple of minutes later. You spose he was thinking it was time to turn around?

Nope.

Up the Granite Horse Couloir we went. Matt punching a knee deep boot track almost all the way up.

About a third of the way up.

Two thirds of the way up.

Getting steeper.

Real steep. Matt nears the top.

A look down from Matt's perspective.

Oh mommy! That's our boot track below.

On top of Three Waters Mountain, looking towards Union Peak, where our sleds were parked. We still had another mountain to climb, before this day was over- and that was just to get back to the sleds.

Matt plots a course...

and begins the downward spiral.

The top was very steep and the slope was huge and loaded with new snow, 18 inches in some places. We were both concerned about the top of the slope sloughing out- which, even though it was new snow, could have significant consequences if caught in it on the steeps. I trusted Matt's judgment on this one. He chose an excellent route. The only route it turned out.

A few seconds after this Matt disappeared over the rollover he yelled, "Slide!!!"

I eased over the top until I had a visual on Matt. He was posted near a rock at the end of a micro- ridge. Huge new snow soft slabs broke out on both side of him. He triggered it, but managed to pull up on the only safe spot around. Whew!

Matt's line is lookers left. After a few very careful turns, I dropped onto the bed surface to scralp my down to Matt. The crown was nearly two feet in places- all soft new snow.

Another perspective.

A zoomed in view from across the drainage. You can see how the slide stepped down on the looker's right. Matt chose the perfect line to approach these couloirs. Impressive! Though, I sometimes think a good part of neither of us getting caught was awful good, frickin' damned luck. A guy can calculate this stuff, just so much. After that- you're just plain assuming a risk.

After knocking all the powder off the mountain, Matt scralps across the top of the couloir on what's left.

I followed.

Side stepping and scralping down the side of the couloir to a safe spot.

"Safe!" Matt yells. "Your turn!"

A look down on Matt's line and the slide path. The skiing was good from here on out.

A look down the Granite Horse couloir after Matt knocked half the snow off it.

Shad sees how long he can ride the Granite Horse before getting bucked off.

A look back up from the debri field. Judging from the softness and depth of the debri (it wasn't really piled up anywhere) it's unlikely a person would have been buried. However, sliding out of control down those steep, narrow, rock-walled couloirs probably would've left a mark.

Out of the steeps, racing through the pow.

Happy to be alive!

A look back at the Granite Horse Couloir, after we skied it.

Another look back on our way back up to Union Peak.

Yet, another look back. Three Waters Mountain and the Granite Horse Couloir.

Our tracks down Union Peak in the sunset. Must be getting closer.

Sleds come into view. Finally!

One final look back at Three Waters Mt and the Granite Horse Couloir.

Saddling up the sleds in the shadow of Union Peak.

One last look at Union Peak, only 15 miles or so left to go, to get to the truck. What a trip! An expedition!

The route:

(Click to enlarge the map)

The blue dashed lines represents our approximate snow machine route once we got out of the trees. Through the trees, we pretty much followed an ATV/ four-wheel drive road all the way up a ridge from the Union Pass road. The road actually goes all the way into Granite Lake. The red flag denotes the approximate area where we parked the sleds. The red line is our general route to and from Three Waters Mountain.

Click on the panorama for a overview of Three Waters Mountain and drainage.

The video:

Starring: Matt Lloyd