Brooks Mountain

Brooks Mountain
Absaroka Range, Shoshone NF
April 20th, 2008

Headed up into the meadows below Brooks Mountain (above Brooks Lake and below Sublette Pass)

Matt rods the Polaris, Austin Peak in the background.

Heading into the storm on our way towards Dubois.

We didn't really know what to expect from the weather on this trip. The forecast wasn't fabulous- wind and snow. That's pretty much what we expected. What we were hoping though was that the "snow" part of the forecast happened alot the night before. Turns out, it really didn't, so most everything was very baked with an inch of dust on top. When we started out though, conditions were sunny and warm- perfect for creating corn. We would've settled for that.

Matt makes his away across the aprons of Brooks Mt, to a familiar couloir we decided to speck out.

Matt gets ready to drop from the mouth of the Jade Lake Couloir. We didn't climb it, because we were in a hurry to speck out another one, one we hadn't climbed or skied yet. We were hoping the weather would hold, and continue warming.

Shad rides out of the mouth of the Jade Lake couloir. The weather was going down.

Looking up the couloir we were hoping to climb. Not in this weather though. Rats!

As the weather deteriorates, Matt leads the way to some north facing treed shots- our only hope for turns in weather like this.

Looking up at one of the north facing treed runs. It was actually pretty good.

On our way up for another run, the weather cleared and Matt spied this. How could we resist?

A classic couloir.

Matt makes his way up toward the couloir, passing up yet another interesting one (in the background).

Switching to boot pack mode.

Making the climb up.

Nearing the top at the base of a mammoth size cornice. It was cold enough (-4 below zero) that we really weren't concerned about the cornice dropping.

Shad tucked in under the cornice, climbs on up.

Matt stomps out a launch pad under the cornice at the top of the couloir.

Peek-a-boo!

Shad on a snowboard, at the top of a couloir. Something I usually try to avoid on a board. Oh well!

Turns down the top half were good- powder on crust.

Matt drops into the second half of the couloir.

Nice and steep!

Looking down Matt's line and the second half of the couloir.

A beautiful run (click to see the tracks better).

A look up the couloir from the base.

After the couloir, we still had about 600 feet of great north facing treed powder runs to drop.

Matt prepares to launch.

Yeeehoo!

Nice!

Off to the races.

A look a the very tops of the couloir we skied, from the base of our powder runs.

One couloir down, we went hunting for more. Matt shifts to boot pack mode again.

This one didn't go all the way. Oh well. Skied it anyway!

Shad nears the top.

Saddling up.

Matt prepares to drop.

Dropping!

Weehoo! The first section was really good.

Out on the apron again. Weather getting sour again.

Carving it up!

Takin' it easy with low visibility.

With all of the new snow falling- new snow slough off the cornices was starting to become impressive. With 4 to 5000 vertical feet sewed up already, we decided to pack it in.

A look a back at our last run of the day.

Another, better look. Maybe it was the best actually. (Click to see it better)

Dropped right down to the sleds- covered in a few inches of snow no less.

A video summary of the day.

Given the weather conditions and all, we had an excellent day. Didn't figure we'd get to do any big lines, but we did. All in all, another great a backcountry day in the Absarokas. Soon it will be May. Wow! Lots of snow left this year.

Always good to come home to this crew...

Tally decided to play dress up with her little brother. Ha!