Y Couloir Alex Lowe

The Y Couloir on Alex Lowe Peak is another great option for a long day. You look directly into it from the top of Mount Blackmore. The forks of the Y are only about 300 feet long before joining, but they are 45 degrees and pretty tight. The looker's right fork is the tighter of the two. There is a cornice to skirt on the looker's left fork, but you can usually get around it quite easily. Approach from the Blackmore Trailhead; the first 2.5 miles are low angle, winding through a lodgepole forest. Don't get side tracked by old logging roads and cross country trails; keep heading up, following a few signs. After the small downhill to Blackmore Lake, the trail gets moderately steep for the rest of the tour into Blackmore basin. Head to the pass between Blackmore and Elephant, then head down into the upper reaches of South Cottonwood creek. Alex Lowe peak is the prominent mountain to the north-west. Skin up the south face, which is about 800ft to the summit.