TR: Rainbow Peak West Face

**uniboyskiier** · 01-30-2014, 05:33 PM

It has been a long time since I last posted. Health issues and a bad snow year in Squamish have limited the chances of getting out into the mountains. However, at the end of my time in Montana, Ben Parsons and I were able to ski a line he had looked at several weeks ago that appeared to be in condition. With a consolidated alpine snowpack and a relatively good weather window, we left Whitefish at a very civilized 0720.

Race skis rarely set foot in Glacier, but they made an appearance at our alpine start of 0900.

Ben set a strong pace for the 6-mile road, and we arrived at the foot of the lake around 1030. At the lake, we ripped skins and began the 5-mile lake skate.

Ben at the beginning of the lake skate, with our objective enshrouded in cloud.

Near the end of the lake, the clouds parted and we were able to see our line. Our descent track goes fall line from the summit into the shaded couloir before traversing lookers left to exit.

After leaving the lake, we bootpacked a thousand feet to open terrain that allowed hides.

Clouds again came in during the beginning of the long, long bootpack.

Ben sped off on the bootpack, and I was quickly alone, following his footsteps up the face. As I reached the summit, the clouds parted and the high peaks of Glacier shone in their winter coats. Being so close to such peaks as Kintla, Kinnerly, Cleveland, Merritt, Carter and others in winter is a memory I will not soon forget.

Looking East towards Cleveland, Merritt, Ipasha, Chief, Stoney Indian, and many others.

The sun was quickly setting, and with a long way still to go, we strapped into our skis and began the 6,000 foot descent back to the lake.

Ben skiing through the clouds and rock bands.

Happy to be back at the lake, we began the skate back to the sound of the cracking ice and the howls of North Fork wolves.

Trip Stats from Ben:
Total time- 11.0 hours
Vert – 7,200
Miles – 25