TR: Fowler-Hilliard 12/10/06-12/12/06

[ColMan]

Headed up to the Fowler-Hilliard hut with a couple friends this past Sunday for a few days. Due to some overindulgence the night before, we were slow to get moving and didn’t leave Breck until 10am. Arrived at the trailhead around 11am under sunny skies and warm temps. Went in via McAllister Gulch. The skin in is around 5.5 miles and 2500’ from the trailhead to the hut. By the time we got to the hut (3pm), a cold front had come in and it started dumping.

Note: Sorry for the crappy pics. We had 3 cameras and of course the only camera that would work was the worst one of the 3. I pulled these pics off of my friends’ Shutterfly upload so the quality and resolution sucks.

Fowler.




Stoked to make some turns.


Coming down Resolution.












ColMan Stoked for another lap.


Heading to the hut for a break between laps.


By the end of the day the visibility moved us from Resolution to the N facing trees behind the hut.


Still coming down.


Woke up to better vis and some occasional sun.


Trees off Shotgun Ridge.







Made a couple more laps on Resolution before skiing out via the snowmobile road down to Pando. Arrived back at the trailhead around dusk. Good times. Looking forward to heading back to the area (Jackal Hut) in a couple months.

[iskibc]

So jealous. Looks like you guys planned that one just right. I gotta check out the Fowler hut sometime. Thanks for the pics and write up.

[Danno]

Nice TR!

Fowler is a great hut, skiing in every direction. A few too many sledheads around for my taste, but still one of the best. Hiking in to Eiseman tomorrow so I'm unbelievably excited right now.

[FrankZappa]

That looks like it definately did not suck. Thanks for the report.

[skibuminwyo]

awesome stuff, way to kill it.....oh and

[Woolbury]

Nice!!! Looks like you had an awesome trip and timed our last storm just right. Fowler is one of the best skiing huts in the sytem IMO, with Resolution right out front and the great trees in the back. Jackal is nice too, you'll enjoy your time there. Our last trip we spent 2 nights at each hut and traversed Machine gun Ridge and over Elk Mtn to connect the 2. It's a nice high alpine variation and a good way to enjoy those 2 huts. Have fun when you return!

Shots from our last trip there:
http://sports.webshots.com/album/273306945FjDHrM

[ColMan]

Hiking in to Eiseman tomorrow so I'm unbelievably excited right now.

Nice! You should have some incredible conditions at Eiseman this weekend. I ran into you and your group on our way out of Eiseman last December. Going in via Spraddle?

[stupendous man]

Col Man - love the avatar!

Psyched for eiseman as well.

[Danno]

Nice! You should have some incredible conditions at Eiseman this weekend. I ran into you and your group on our way out of Eiseman last December. Going in via Spraddle?

Most of us are, a few wusses are hiking the road and a few even bigger wusses are snowmachining in. I'm bouncing up and down right now, and your pictures didn't help!

[Alpine Dreams]

Sweet hut trip, I have one planned in Jan. hope it's as good!

[ColMan]

Nice!!! Looks like you had an awesome trip and timed our last storm just right. Fowler is one of the best skiing huts in the sytem IMO, with Resolution right out front and the great trees in the back. Jackal is nice too, you'll enjoy your time there. Our last trip we spent 2 nights at each hut and traversed Machine gun Ridge and over Elk Mtn to connect the 2. It's a nice high alpine variation and a good way to enjoy those 2 huts. Have fun when you return!

Shots from our last trip there:
http://sports.webshots.com/album/273306945FjDHrM

Sweet pics. How does the terrain at Jackal compare to Fowler?

[Danno]

Sweet pics. How does the terrain at Jackal compare to Fowler?

Fowler has close to 360 degree skiing, Jackal not quite as good. But the trees behind the hut hold 1000-1500 vert of sweet skiing, and it's north facing IIRC, so the snow stays good. There's stuff out the front too, a small bowl, and some trees on the "hike" out, but the snow is more spotty. Still an excellent hut.

[Danno]

and the little "similar threads" thing at the bottom has one link, my TR from Fowler last year: http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=50009

[ColMan]

Holy shit! A private snowcat? Looks like you guys were living it up.

Thanks for the beta on Jackal.

[Woolbury]

Yep, Danno has it right, Jackal's skiing is primarily the trees to the north behind the hut. But they are very fun to ski and you can easily spend a couple days poking around. As you head east they open up, with some very nice open shots to the valley below. Pretty steep and they hold great protected north facing snow. And if you're a decent skier with a full pack, don't take the trail out, drop those trees on your exit for some great skiing on the way out. Not the same as Fowler, but don't even think twice, it's a hut worth visiting.

[Danno]

And if you're a decent skier with a full pack, don't take the trail out, drop those trees on your exit for some great skiing on the way out.

Not if you get fresh snow and there's a good base; going out the normal trail straight down to Camp Hale (ie dropping straight out the front) can be sweet sweet sweet in the right conditions. It snowed the whole weekend when we were there, and there really was no reason not to go down the way we came up.