Tobacco Root Mountain Range
In southwest Montana there is a rugged mountain range often overlooked by skiers. Known as the Tobacco Roots, the range is home to 43 peaks over 10,000 feet in elevation and contains an infinite supply of cirques, bowls, couloirs and chutes.
It is also the ideal locale for my last long ski tour of the season.
Madison Valley
Located between the Madison and Jefferson Rivers, the Tobacco Root Mountain Range dominates the western skyline of Montana's verdant Madison Valley.
South Meadow Creek
The mountain range formed 70 million years ago when a granite core forced its way up through Precambrian bedrock. The resulting contact zone is rich in minerals and a century ago the Tobacco Roots were the site of many gold and silver mines. Our ski traverse begins on an old jeep trail that leads us past the abandoned Missouri Mine to South Meadow Creek Lake.
South Meadow Creek Lake
During ice ages the Tobacco Roots were heavily glaciated as evidenced by many cirques, moraines, and tarns. While South Meadow Creek Lake likely originated as a glacier tarn, at some point in the past an earthen dam was constructed and its capacity increased.
South Meadow Creek Cirque
From the dam we climb to the south and gain a ridge that encircles the glacier-carved basin.
Soft spring snow provides a pleasant traveling surface.
At 10,195 feet Ramshorn Mountain is the southern most peak in the Tobacco Roots and the first of several we will summit.
Scoured by wind, much of the crest is free of snow and we find traveling along its western flank more efficient.
Krummholz, Bradley Mountain
The best snow coverage and easiest traveling is often just above timberline in the krummholz that consists of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) and the occasional whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis).
Just south of the Branham Peaks we drop into a large glacier-carved basin populated by whitebark pine. While several of the majestic trees appear victims of voracious pine beetles many healthy trees remain.
It has been an exceptional snow year and the upper basin is still blanketed in deep snow. A large steep bowl just west of the Branham Peaks provides easy passage back to the crest and into the South Willow Creek drainage.
Amy McCarthy, Branham Col
We refer to the 9,693 foot high pass as Branham Col.
A patch of dry ground provides a relaxing spot to gear up for one of the best ski descents of the traverse.
Bell Lake Cirque
From the pass we enjoy a 1,200-foot ski descent down to Bell Lake and the Bell Lake Yurt.
Operated by my friend Drew Pogge of Bozeman, the Bell Lake Yurt is ideally located in the middle of the range and provides a delightful place to spend the night. Surrounding the yurt are numerous worthy ski objectives. That night we make plans to return.
My kind of snow camping.
East Ridge of Long Mountain
In the morning we ascend the eastern ridge of Long Mountain that begins immediately behind the yurt.
Peak 9,920
From the ridge we scout many more potential ski lines easily accessed from the Bell Lake Yurt.
Wesley Bunch, Big Sky Country
The views of southwest Montana or "Big Sky Country" from the crest of Tobacco Roots are stupendous.
Amy and Kim, Long Mountain
From the summit of Long Mountain we enjoy views of the Branham Peaks and the broad couloir that we descended the day before.
Still early in the morning, the cool north face of Long Mountain provides a pleasant ski route to Lonesome Peak.
To bypass the rocky upper north side of 10,328 foot Lonesome Peak we traverse along its west side to its north ridge and enjoy another descent down buttery spring snow.
Amy and Kim with the equally attractive north face of Peak 10,125
After descending the north flank of Lonesome Peak we contour around the head of South Willow Creek and ascend to the summit of 10,558 foot Granite Peak, the second highest point in the Tobacco Roots.
View from Granite Peak
While the legacy of mining has left the Tobacco Roots in a state short of true wilderness, their rugged alpine character endures.
East Fork of South Boulder River
The east and north flanks of Granite Peak provide yet another delightful spring ski descent. Afterwards, below Little Granite Peak, we traverse right just above timberline to a broad avalanche path that drops into a large alpine meadow still covered in deep snow.
Nicholson Mine Road
From the meadow we pick our way through thick stands of spruce and fir until we intersect an old jeep trail that was originally constructed to access the Nicholson Silver Mine.
Snowline
At an elevation of 7,500 feet we strap our skis on our packs and hike the remaining mile to the trailhead on the South Boulder River upstream of the historic mining town of Mammoth.
East Fork Fork of South Boulder River
Fortunately, a well constructed Forest Service bridge provides a safe crossing over the East Fork, which is raging from the warm weather and rapidly melting snow.
The lush green meadows and wildflowers along the South Boulder River remind us it is spring and another ski season is nearing its end.
Warning at Bell Lake Yurt
That afternoon we hightail it back to Wyoming.
During Memorial Day Weekend of 2014 Wesley Bunch, Amy McCarthy, Kim Young and I completed the traverse in 32 hours that included a night at the Bell Lake Yurt. With a moving time of 17.5 hours we traveled over 22 miles and ascended/descended 10,360 feet.
“In the end, to ski is to travel fast and free – free over untouched snow country. To be bound to one slope, even one mountain, by a lift may be convenient but it robs us of the greatest pleasure that skiing can give, that is to travel through the wide wintery country; to follow the lure of peaks which tempt on the horizon and to be alone for a few days or even hours in clear, mysterious surroundings.” - Hans Gmoser
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