The Northeast Face of Mount Woodring is an unassuming, yet intricate and at times rather severe, 3,000 foot ski descent tucked away in the deep recesses of Leigh Canyon.
While skiing Mount Moran’s Southwest Couloir three days earlier, I spotted this quirky line on the north side of Mount Woodring. At first glance the face looks improbable, with several floating snowfields bisected by an endless matrix of cliffs. However, with discerning eyes an obvious ski descent reveals itself. Beginning at ~11,300 feet, about 200 feet below the summit, a 3,000 foot “chutes and ladders” snow sliding adventure can be pieced together. Consistent 50 degree turns through a talus shrouded upper snowfield pours into a short 45 degree couloir that hangs above a drainage ringed with serious cliffs – a true, albeit short lived, no fall zone. Beneath the couloir, a long traverse east leads to three hanging and angling snowfields connected by thin breaks. None of these snowfields are steep or technical in their own, but a navigational mistake would be unfortunate. Between the consequential jump turns from inception, and puzzle-esque character through the final turn, this is an interesting ski line that deserves more attention. In my ten years of Teton skiing, I’ve never heard mention of Woodring’s north face. This zone is not popular. You will not see crowds, nor signs of prior travel. A wilderness ski mountaineering experience awaits those willing to venture onto the dark side of this massive and largely overlooked peak.
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With a traffic jam of life responsibilities piling up, I’ll leave the report on this one short. Bobbi and I approached Leigh Canyon by bicycle from the Bradley-Taggart Trailhead, climbed our ski line from the canyon bottom, and topped out with a relaxed pace eight hours after departure. The skiing was a mixed bag of wind effected funk, ranging from brief pockets of bouncy powder to thick breakable crust, and everything between. Northerly wind events continue as the bane of 2025 Teton ski mountaineering. As the Alpine Peanut continues her ski mountaineering evolution, I’ve been enjoying nudging her into steeper terrain. Today she skied from the base of the finishing couloir, approximately 10,600 feet. 40 degrees has emerged as her threshold for poor snow conditions. Having only been skiing for four years, I’d say that’s a proud benchmark. All in all, the North Face of Mount Woodring provided a 14 hour day of top tier adventure and ambiance.
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DISCLAIMER
Ski mountaineering, rock climbing, ice climbing and all other forms of mountain recreation are inherently dangerous. Should you decide to attempt anything you read about in this article, you are doing so at your own risk! This article is written to the best possible level of accuracy and detail, but I am only human – information could be presented wrong. Furthermore, conditions in the mountains are subject to change at any time. Ten Thousand Too Far and Brandon Wanthal are not liable for any actions or repercussions acted upon or suffered from the result of this article’s reading.
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