Macdonald West Shoulder & NRC Gully: Epic Fall Line

Olivier Denis-Larocque — Fri, 12 Feb 2021 01:26:12 +0000

The Macdonald West Shoulder and its neighbouring NRC Gully (Shoulder Valley Path) offer some of the Roger Pass’ most accessible ski descents. Unlike most routes in the area that require a long approach to even get a glimpse of the goods, the Macdonald West Shoulder #4 slide path provides 1200 meters of uninterrupted, west-facing fall line skiing, accessed with a 2.5 km-long ascent. If the sun or the crowds haven’t gotten to it yet, it might as well be some of Rogers Pass’ best skiing. As you might have guessed from those figures, it’s a popular route, especially with beginners and guides on the job. On the lower section before the bench, you’ll find a million botched uptracks and, maybe, the perfect one, expertly crafted by said guides – the needle in a haystack. Mind you: it says it in the name: the route follows a massive avalanche path. It gets even more exposed in the NRC gully, a major terrain trap with a big bowl overhead. As always, good terrain knowledge, prior research and avalanche awareness are crucial.

This route is located within a Winter Restricted Area (WRA) governed by the Winter Permit System of Glacier National Park. Check the WRA status before travelling through it.

WRA STATUS

PERMIT SYSTEM

Jacquelin, emerging from the white room on the Macdonald West Shoulder. Photo: The Uptrack

Note on Winter Permit System: The route is located within the East Rogers Winter Restricted Area (WRA) and also borders the Macdonald West Winter Prohibited Area (WPA), a permanently closed area through which backcountry skiers and snowboarders cannot travel. The zone has been poached many times before, resulting in lasting closures of the East Rogers WRA. Please understand and observe the Winter Permit System, orchestrated by Parks Canada so that backcountry users can have fun on government land.

Report from January 31, 2021

Kaitlin, Freddy, Laurent, and I left the Mortar Restricted parking lot at 9 AM, a late start by Roger Pass’ standard. We knew this would be a short day on the Macdonald West Shoulder. To be honest, we were all exhausted for various reasons – the group’s energy was at an all-time low. In fact, a breezy ascent up the Shoulder followed by a descent full of face shots was the perfect remedy for tired souls.

View of the Macdonald West Shoulder (left) and NRC Gully (right) from the Mortar Restricted parking. Photo: The Uptrack

We dove into the forest on a bee-line for the highest point on the shoulder, located at an elevation of 2530m. Following a mellow uptrack, we emerged from the forest, bordering the main slope, and zipped up the looker’s right through sparse trees, naturally gladed by avalanches over the years. Occasionally, we would veer off course from the existing uptrack to bypass ridiculously steep sections, perhaps laid by inexperienced ski tourers.

Avalanche Trim Lines

Avalanche trim lines define the boundary between the untouched forest and where trees have been uprooted by previous avalanches. The area with visibly younger (and smaller) trees marks the maximum extent of previous avalanches. This observation gives you an idea of how far the biggest avalanche has gotten. It can help you identify safe spots, out of harm’s way.

Kaitlin and Freddy, carving a path through the snow on the lower section of the slope. Photo: The Uptrack

Once we got below a large pillow field – a dangerous descent in the early season – we left the main slope and ducked into a thick band of trees, the divide between the Macdonald West Shoulder #4 slide path and the NRC Gully (also a major slide path). To my knowledge, this is the best way to gain the bench. We poked through the band of trees and proceeded up the gully’s north flank. From there, the path was clear.

A party ahead touring towards the ridge. NRC Col in the distance. Photo: The Uptrack

From the north flank of the NRC Gully, we tracked up a sparsely forested ridge, gaining the bench in the process. Following this ridge gets you to the highest skiable elevation (2530m) on the Macdonald West Shoulder. Fortunately, most folks stop right below the bench. What a shame: the best skiing is up there!

The uptrack to the ridge viewed from the NRC Gully at 1830m. Photo: The Uptrack

After a few easy switchbacks, expertly placed by Kaitlin, we were at the base of the ridge, on top of the sacred bench. As a reference, we were standing on the upper edge of the pillow field. We continued along the ridge, sticking to another band of smaller trees in order to minimize our exposure to the avalanche hazard. As we got higher, the winds kicked in high gear, steadily blowing from the SW.

Funky Winds of Rogers Pass

It’s worth noting the route is located at the actual pass. We tend to call the whole of Glacier National Park, Rogers Pass but, in truth, it’s a single point on a map. Due to the constriction’s funnelling effect, winds, here, do funky things to the snowpack, expecially in the alpine. The usual gale-force winds are absolutely devastating and often hard to predict. I often ski down from partway up the ridge – from 2200m – because the treeless upper elevation is plagued by stiff wind slabs. I typically climb until the wind slabs get dangerous, dropping from that height.

An overview of the Macdonald West Shoulder and the NRC Gully. Photo: The Uptrack

Eventually, the alpine snow started showing some severe slab properties. With shooting cracks and whumpfs spanning from our skis, it was time to turn back. We hurried towards a safe spot to transition for the descent. From our perch, a party decided to drop right above our heads, triggering a size 1 wind slab avalanche in the process. Damn fools! How careless… the Macdonald West Shoulder is a busy touring zone where the uptrack is right under the descent. Please wait for ascending parties below to get out of the way before skiing your line.

Laurent, charging through the fun stuff as always. Photo: The Uptrack

The avoidable incident did not tarnish our descent. It was simply epic! Deep powder was on the menu… and we were hungry. The wind-affected snow up top faded into cold smoke down below. Conditions below treeline were absolutely, positively blower. That’s pretty common here. With such a wide skiable slope, there’s always good snow to be had. It is however facing west which means the sun might ruin things on a clear, warm day. As an alternative to the main face, you could even seek the fresh stuff down the NRC gully to the south where some features don’t see much sun.

Alternate view of the Macdonald West Shoulder and the NRC Gully. Photo: The Uptrack

Knowing the slope like the inside of our pocket, we sped down its center. The slide path spat us right by the highway, merely five minutes from our car. It’s just that easy! Along with the Avalanche Crest and Rogers Run, the Macdonald West Shoulder and the NRC Gully are some of the best bang for your buck runs at Rogers Pass.

Jacquelin, slashing the freshies for the face shot. Shot during a different outing. Photo: The Uptrack

Route Info


5-6 h	1200m	5.8 km	1330-2530 m

For more epic trips, check out the Uptrack’s Route Map. It’s your one-stop shop for Rogers Pass ski touring beta.

ROUTE MAP

The post Macdonald West Shoulder & NRC Gully: Epic Fall Line appeared first on The Uptrack.

macdonald west shoulder Archives - The Uptrack

Macdonald West Shoulder & NRC Gully: Epic Fall Line

Route Info