Summit Chute

Often guarded by a vertical cornice, enter from the top of Powder Bowl, dropping along the traverse track that starts at the chair. A narrow chute to the right offers fun turns and fewer rocks. This can be found directly below a Gazex exploder, used for avalanche mitigation. Since this slope avalanches regularly, the snow often sloughs off, leaving this face peppered with rocks. On a deep snow year, however, the slope to the left of the Summit Chute offers great high-speed turns for 900 vertical feet. The snow usually gets deeper just below the steepest section before it gives way to the broader basin that makes up Powder Bowl. At the bottom, catch the traverse track towards Bear Pits for another 500 vertical feet. Alternately, join the Lucky Shot groomer to the base of Rainier Express. The only downside of riding Summit Chute is that it takes two chair rides to get back to the top to do it again.