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Crooked Couloir on Mount Audubon | Indian Peaks Wilderness Backcountry, CO United States | 05/17/08, by TeleMonster

Andy, Keith, and I met up at 4am at the gate closure on the road to Brainard Lake for an early start. Although the gate was closed, the road was mostly clear for a mile or two, so we brought our bikes along. After pedaling up the road until the snow drifts became too much, we threw our bikes in the trees and switched over to skinning. By the time it was light, we were nearly to the base of Mt. Audubon.

Due to a lack of detailed planning, we made a last minute decision to ascend the southeast ridge of Audubon rather than the much easier east slopes or the much more direct Crooked Couloir. We encountered some moderately technical scrambling that proved exciting in ski boots while carrying skis. After traversing the more or less flat and jagged ridge, we ascended a 45-50 degree snow slope, weaseled between two cornices, and found ourselves on the summit plateau of Mt. Audubon. The true summit was still a ways off, but it was a mere slog away.


After summiting and continuing west along the ridge for 100 to 200 yards, we were at the top of the Crooked Couloir. A couple test turns indicated that we may have arrived slightly before corn-o-clock, but past experience warned that it must be corn-o-clock somewhere between the top and the bottom of the couloir with nearly 2000 vertical feet separating them and the sun beating down on the south facing chute.


The crooked couloir begins at a moderate 35 degrees, steepening during the middle third of the run to a little over 40 degrees, and then flattening out for the final third. By the time we reached the steeper section, the snow had softened to a nearly perfect level. Not only was this great for skiing, but the fact that we didn’t get up at 2:30 am for nothing was a mental boost. By the time we reached the bottom, the snow was quickly becoming soft, slushy, and sticky.


This was my first trip into the Indian Peaks Wilderness with a full coverage of snow, and I was quite impressed by the multitude of alluring lines in every direction. I will defiantly go back later in the season when the steeper north and east facing lines have a trustworthy snowpack.