Threeway Exit Chute (aka Threeway Notch)

A wide chute tucked below Three Way Peak that holds fresh snow days after a storm, Three Way Exit Chute begins at Three Way Notch. Exit Chute gets its names from the ski patrol, as it's the last avalanche path in Silver Basin that receives avalanche mitigation and is the terminus for the Three Way avalanche control route. Wide at the top, Exit Chute narrows slightly in the middle and opens again below the lower flanks of Three Way Peak. This chute requires some commitment. It takes a thirty to forty-five minute hike/traverse from the top of Chair 6. For this reason, powder snow lasts for days. If you're looking for some good snow and are willing to earn your turns, this is a spectacular destination. While the top is fairly steep, the chute is wide enough that non-experts can give it a try. Approach from the first Southback gate at the Throne Saddle. Enter the gate and traverse around the backside of the Throne to Avalanche Basin. Beware that the basin to your West (right) is uncontrolled backcountry. The highway several thousand vertical feet below is closed in the winter. If you get lost and need to be rescued, you will be charged. First timers should go with an experienced partner. Follow the established traverse and bootpack. The traverse is long and bumpy. Snowboarders might consider staying on the ridge to the second Southback gate at the summit of the Throne. Follow the ridge down to meet up with the traverse at Avalanche Basin. Continue the traverse to the beginning of the hike up Silver King. Instead of following the bootpack, those headed to Three Way should traverse around the backside of Silver King. Continue past the Beach, a wide-open flat area on the ridge and behind the first Three Way Chutes to Three Way Notch. Look for signs that read, No Avalanche Control Beyond This Point. Exit Chute is the last chute before these signs that return to Silver Basin.