Rattlesnake Traverse on skis

Despite having a race (shedhorn) in 2 days, I couldn’t resist the lure of great weather and stability for a long day in the mountains.  With temps forecasted to reach 80 in the valley, I opted for the predominately N-facing rattlesnake traverse, so as to avoid dealing with rapidly warming solar aspects under the strong sun.

looking N from stuart peak

After stashing a bike at snowbowl, I left the ravine trailhead on foot slightly after 6, excited for the day ahead.  Six miles of hiking finally brought me to snowline (6100ft) where I transitioned and continued up to stuart peak.  I was pleasantly surprised to see multiple old skintracks converging on the summit.  Its definitely a good push to access stuart from any direction and was great to see evidence of folks getting after it.  The N face looked icy, so I locked my toes and dropped in directly from the summit.  It was firm but manageable and I skied down to upper twin lake, before making the short climb N to eagle point.  I next skied the eagle chute N down to roosevelt lake, which was even icier but as a remote, aesthetic line I hadn’t skied before, I was stoked regardless. 

nearing the top of stuart via the S ridge 

looking NW to murphy, burgundy and point six

N face of stuart from twin lakes

eagle chute

a look back at eagle point, the eagle chute is on looker's R

Next up was the long climb trending NW back to the ridgeline S of mosquito and on to the summit. I skied the R-hand portion of the N face, which was again, super icy.  I had hoped the warm temps during the day would soften the N faces a bit but I had no such luck.  I took a long break in the sun at glacier lake to eat, relax and dry out my saturated skins. 

from mosquito, looking S back to eagle point (center) and stuart (far R)

N face of mosquito to glacier lake

N face of mosquito, 5 prominent lines marked, anyone know names of these?

N face sanders

looking back up sander's N face/couloir

From there I continued N to sanders, where I dropped in to the N face.  The upper face was soft (gets sun) but the lower couloir (shaded) was the iciest of the day.  I made the short climb to the saddle W of sanders and due to wet slide concerns on the S gully of murphy, elected to bypass murphy and head straight to point six.  The usual ski/slog across the grant creek basin (and a much needed water re-fill) put me atop point six under the intense afternoon sun.  I opted out of jenny bowl due to mega-slushy conditions and wet-slide concerns so cruised down the S ridge and made the mini climb to snowbowl before bombing down a slushy paradise.  The easy bike shuttle went quick, and I got some great looks as I rode by folks dressed in my race suit with skis/boots/poles on my back on a 70 degree bluebird afternoon.   I wish I had a picture.  

On a gear related note, I carried ski crampons and a whippet but neither were necessary.  Also, this was my first real tour (other than racing and snowbowl/point six training) on my race boots and skinny skis (DyNA EVO and 167 broad peaks) as well as race pack and 2-piece race suit and it all worked wonderfully.  I’m excited for some big tours this spring in a fast and light style made possible by such equipment.      

Stats: about 9600 vert in 9 hours car-to-bike

Splits: approx. 3:15 stuart, 5:15 mosquito, 6:15 sanders, 8:15 point six

Rose: beautiful day in the mountains on this classic missoula area tour

Thorn: skiing ice all day, having to bypass murphy

Bud: bigger and bolder ski traverses in a fast & light style

Thoughts: with conditions allowing safe passage down S aspects in the afternoon, it would be great to ski NW off W sanders peak down to upper finley lake, climb the NW ridge of murphy, and then ski the S faces of murphy, burgundy and jenny bowl at the end of the tour (would make for a more logical and complete traverse and 12k day)