Mendenhall Couloir

I scooped up Ben and Ann early for another adventure in the mountains. This time we elected to ski the Mendenhall Couloir on Laurel Mountain above Convict Lake.

Unfortunately I managed to kick off a ski while performing a kick turn high on this slope during the approach. It slowly slid down about 500'. 

I had been feeling unusually tired and slow to begin with, so I downclimbed to the ski and bailed out while Ben and Ann carried on.

Here's the Mendenhall starting in the open bowl top center and funneling into a proper couloir lower.

I took a few pics during the day. Convict Canyon with Red Slate Mountain in the early sun.

The upper couloir.

The view across Convict of Mt Morrison (right) and min Morrison (left).

I returned to the car, changed my clothes, had a nice snack and plenty of water then settled in with the binoculars and watched Ben and Ann ski the couloir. It was a vicarious kind of fun.

The couloir is filled in nicely. B & A reported decent soft snow throughout. They primarily stuck to the northeast aspects which were holding winter snow, but excursions out onto sunnier slopes were ok too.  They did find some punchy snow down low - as did I on my descent.

For sure I was disappointed, but I'll be back to try it again. For now I need some rest and recuperation so I am good to go when the snow flies next week!