Home > Trip Reports > 2008, June 21, Branham Peak Main Couloir, Tobacco Roots, MT

2008, June 21, Branham Peak Main Couloir, Tobacco Roots, MT

6/15/08
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Posted by MBA on 6/25/08 2:38am
We hiked in sneakers to the last avy path on the Bell Lake summer trail, then skinned from there to the base of the couloir (you can see the brown avy path and the start of the snow on the summer trail looking down, in the mid-left of the last photo).  We made the summit by noon, which was late, but still made for some nice skiing: we were able to shed the sluff-slush layer at the top which came down cleanly and allowed for skiing on the firmer base layer underneath.  The Tobacco Roots are looking good for late June, with dry-trail approaches and a deep snowpack up high.



See more at:
http://s39.photobucket.com/albums/e184/nicejuice/Brahnam/?albumview=slideshow
edit- (fixed messed up link) +spelling

Nice pictures - way to get after it!



author=MBA link=topic=10462.msg42412#msg42412 date=1214505137]
Who's CJ?

I'll take that as a no.
By the way, looks sweet!  Good eye for the action shots.

Looks like a great place!!!

Nice!  Way to nail the MT turns!  Any suggestions for August in MT?  I'll be out in Bozeman, Missoula, Kalispell, so my intuition was telling me high up in glacier...other thoughts?

Looks like great turns!  The second shot looks more impressive with the horizon straightened; you can add about 10 degrees to the angle of the slope there.

Looks like the snow was pretty good, too.  How late into the year can you typically ski in MT?

author=Stugie link=topic=10462.msg42480#msg42480 date=1214625916]
Nice!  Way to nail the MT turns!  Any suggestions for August in MT?  I'll be out in Bozeman, Missoula, Kalispell, so my intuition was telling me high up in glacier...other thoughts?

This season's snowpack seems to be hanging in there pretty well (I skied a well covered Mt. Blackmore yesterday).  July should be fun.  But your intuition for August is probably right.  I'm heading to the Willy Nelson concert in Red Lodge in late August.  While I'm there I figure I might as well bring the skis and head up Beartooth Pass.

author=lordhedgie link=topic=10462.msg42485#msg42485 date=1214629400]
Looks like great turns!  The second shot looks more impressive with the horizon straightened; you can add about 10 degrees to the angle of the slope there.

Looks like the snow was pretty good, too.  How late into the year can you typically ski in MT?

Thanks for fixing the photo.  I reposted the flat horizon (I guess we were being to modest about the pitch). 
You can ski all year, but the season's snowpack definitely determines how "token" the experience will be.  We'll see how it goes this summer. 

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2008-june-21-branham-peak-main-couloir-tobacco-roots-mt
MBA
2008-06-25 09:38:26