The easiest line in Mirkwood Trees, which still tends to hold excellent snow.

Statistics

86

m

299

m

34

max°

Difficulty

FATMAP difficulty grade

Difficult

Description

This treed north-facing aspect is home to an approachable gladed run that hides fantastic snow for days after the last storm! To access this line, simply hike to the top of Mirkwood Bowl, strap in, and traverse along the cornice to skier’s right of the main bowl.

Head a few feet past the treeline, and then drop into the obvious glade run.

This line offers a consistent pitch all the way down that’s identical to the nearby Mirkwood Bowl.

While some sections of the trees can feel tight, there are several long, straight, wide-open lines that provide for obvious route selection and the possibility of high-speed pow surfing! Unlike the nearby lines in Staircase, there are no cliff bands, chutes, or other obstacles to avoid or navigate through.

This line is point-and-shoot! Surprisingly, the trees keep enough skiers away that the snow tends to stay much fresher than the ever-popular Mirkwood Bowl just to your left, despite the ease of access.

If, however, you hit this line and it feels skied out, it’s time to head further down the ridge and into more aggressive territory.