Backcountry
Report from January 27th, 2020
Brought to you by Alpenglow Expeditions
I awoke at 3:15am.
I drove.
I drove east for 5-hours from Lake Tahoe, CA to the Ruby Mountains, NV.
My goal was the legendary, 1800-vertical-foot Terminal Cancer Couloir.
I arrived at 8:30am and met Rob in the parking lot.
It had snowed about an inch with wind the night before.
We crossed a creek, skinned up about 20 minutes, then dug into a deep bootpack.
Rob went first, then I waited.
I waited for the wind.
The wind was gusting powerfully and throwing snow off the barren cliffs atop the chute walls into the couloir.
Once the wind had done its work, I dropped in.
The tight walls of the chute were restricting.
The skiing was intense, the walls surreal, the snow fast.
I breathed hard.
I worked hard.
I was elated at the bottom.
I drove 4 more hours to Park City, UT.
I was high off this line for 29 hours.
I plan to ski this line 5 more times this winter.
The Terminal Cancer Couloir is one of the 50 Classic Descents of North America.
The day after this, I skied another 50 Classic Descent: Mt. Superior, UT.
