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Backcountry Skiing Continues Into Summer | Gros Ventre Backcountry, Cache Gash Couloir, WY United States | 07/02/08, by powderjunky

With so much to do and ski around here in northern Wyoming, it’s funny how sometimes you can drive by such an obvious line day in and day out and not notice it until summer. Once I saw this thing I knew I wanted to try to ski it. So on June 14 2000-Great, I headed up cache creek on the finest full-suspension bike Kmart produces (retails $150).


This was my first time biking this season and it was by far the most adventuresome part of the trip. With no brakes, loose pedals and rusty gears I pedaled up the canyon 5 miles in where I would ditch my deathtrap on wheels and begin my boot pack up towards the couloir.

After a mile in I strapped on the skins and was able to cruise up to the base of the line. Only to my disappointment it was filled with a lot of debris. I went in for a closer look and realized it as warming quick and the debris might be skiable as it got softer from the sun.

This is a very aesthetic line and was psyched I was able to ski it on the first try. The turns were that of butter with toast crumbs on top, but fun none-the-less. The snow was getting mushy by the minute and I made some fun turns down to my ride.


After celebrating by trying to see how many gummy worms I could fit in my mouth at one time I rode my bike back to the trailhead trying to avoid being clotheslined by my skis on the passing trees. Due to the wetness of the trail and my lack of braking ability I almost went head over the handle bars a couple times. This if it were to happen would probably be one of the funnier sights for a third party to witness, with skis on my back and all!

After asking around no one seemed to know the name of this couloir, which I can’t believe since you can see it from town.  I was going to name it the awesome-than-star-wars-lord-of-the-rings-and-superbad-put-together-and-you-can-s ee-from-town couloir.  However, Randosteve came through with two slightly more concise names: Cache Gash or Gibson Gully.  Cache Gash certainly has a nice ring to it!  Gibson Gully would be as in Les Gibson, owner of Pearl Street Bagels.   I guess only time will tell which name makes it to the map...