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Travel Series Part V: In Search of My "Deepest Day Ever" | UNITED STATES, NEVADA | 04/14/2009, by BrennanLagasse
Not the sort of daydream that usually gets us to visit epic backcountry locales. Take that thought and add it with snowmobiles racing up and down an access road to the main canyon where it looks like the best backcountry skiing lies and there you have why it's been so easy for me to put off this trip.
The funny thing is I wasn't wrong, but we found amazing turns anyway. The heli was flying for the few days we were out there, and in Lamoille Canyon, snowmobiles rule the right of way on the flat access road.
The thing is, if you ski where the heli isn't taking clients, and where the snowmobiles can't climb the steeps, those "problems" get solved. Actually, we barely saw the heli at all, and the snowmobilers were super friendly, watched out for our dogs, and didn't really venture off the beaten track.
Lamoille Canyon is bisected by a road that gets covered for most of the winter. After leaving I-80 in Elko, and stocking up on supplies, it's a quick 30 minute drive southeast to the access road. As the pavement ends the road continues 5 miles to the head of the canyon. This is where most of the snowmobilers go, passing up several points to peel off the road, all which offer amazing skiing.
A local told me a lot of snowmobilers ski, and use their sleds to access the higher elevation bowls, chutes and ramps and the end of the road. "That's where most people ski" is what we were told. "There are a few other trailheads to the north, south, east and west, but this is where the best skiing is".
Terminal Cancer, Ruby Mountains
While our objectives included a recon of the area, to see what was what back there and if it was worth the 5+ hour drive, we also had a line in mind. Andrew Mclean once wrote a story of his "deepest day ever". Now most people's deepest days have to be pretty good simply because they are their "deepest day". But when Mclean said his deepest day was in a couloir that was 20 feet wide for the better part of it's length, in the Rubies, I did everything I could to find beta on the line and make it a must for our trip. It turns out the line is called Terminal Cancer (TC). I know it is a horrible name for such an aesthetic line. That was our main ski goal beyond just getting a feel for these new mountains in a new place.
By the time Jillian and I had loaded the overnight gear, and got the dogs ready with their own packs, we started skinning on the access road knowing at some point TC should be off to our right and was apparently impossible to miss. I had studied the few pictures I could find and figured it'd be a few hour skin to its base where we'd set up camp.
Winter Camping about 30 minutes from the car
Did I say a few hours? I meant a few minutes. Here's when the lack of beta laughed at me in the face as the line came into view about ten minutes from the car. From there it's a short skip over the creek and before you know it you're climbing. It caught me so off guard I actually questioned if it was the right line at first. At least it wasn't a few days to get out there I guess, but it was pretty funny to be set up for a few nights of winter camping only to set up 30 minutes from the car on day one.
Terminal Cancer Couloir
I know it sounds corny, but that night we were treated to a beautiful sunset with such a ruby glow it would've made indulgent businessman amend their capitalistic ways. The next morning we were treated to a glorious couloir with 4-6 inches of soft powder perfectly coating the tight corridor. All four of us fit in the walls and the dogs even stayed just far enough back of the lead skier so as to not cause me or Jillian to use our "doggy skiing voice", which sometimes causes people who don't know us to think something horrible is happening. The line skied at a high 30 degree angle, which made it totally fine for the dogs, but still super fun for us.
Terminal Cancer Couloir
The rest of our time in the Rubies was spent gawking at what seemed to be endless possibilities. Every few hundred feet unveiled a new vantage point as we ascended the access road. The level of difficulty was as diverse as the canyon itself varying between lines that had closeout airs in the middle to just big 20 degree ramps and bowls that looked like powder magnets. While I'm not sure if I'd tell you to pass up a trip to Tahoe or Salt Lake for a chance to hit the Rubies, I'd without doubt tell you to at least work in a day or two. The Rubies are for surely a gem hidden in the rough of the Nevada desert-definitely worth a visit, definitely a place worth leaving some tracks.
If you enjoyed this article, you should also check out Parts 1-4 of the STB Travel Series:
Part 1: Rocky Mountain Road Trip
Part 2: Look Out Hippies Here We Come (Pacific NW)
Part 3: Pilgrimage to Alaska
Part 3: Pilgrimage to Alaska II
Part 4: Himalayan Honeymoon
That's Our Opinion. What's Yours?
powderjunky wrote on 04/14/09 at 10:00:39 pm pst:
That line looks sick!
Dark Star wrote on 04/15/09 at 3:27:47 pm pst:
Thanks Powderjunky. I think it holds snow into May if you happen to find yourself in the middle of the desert anytime over the next few weeks. Hope Oregon is still treating you well, which I'm sure it is this time'o year.
AndeanPowderGod wrote on 04/16/09 at 09:48:53 am pst:
Dark Star-
Awesome write-up! I have long wondered how possible / worthwhile it was to do some BC touring in the Rubies. I am already planning my trip in the next couple of weeks. I am in Truckee, so it's really not that far away.
Thanx for the beta!!!!
Buena onda
SFDonner wrote on 04/16/09 at 3:41:14 pm pst:
Terminal Cancer has been high on the hitlist, even since I saw photos from A. McLean (or somebody else on TTips) a couple years back. Good stuff.
ty wrote on 04/03/10 at 8:44:22 pm pst:
Are whippets nessary is there much exposure anywhere, up top? I am assuming not casue you brang the dogs up there.
Dark Star wrote on 04/04/10 at 10:28:35 am pst:
I would say there is not much exposure. However, the line is open to sloughs off the neighboring walls in the middle, and its so narrow you shouldn't go into the line thinking its easy just because it looks steep, but really isn't. It also slides regularly, so if there's new snow and no debris, be super careful.
If the conditions were firm, yeah a whippet would be helpful, but we got it in such nice conditions the dogs were welcome.
I would say if you ski couloirs often and are comfy with 40+ degrees (which this line is not) then evaluate the avi danger and you won't need anything more than what you'd usually bring on a normal bc mission. A whippet (crampons/ice axe) for this line is just for added safety, and I had all my extra gear for this just because we didn't know what it was really going to be like.
Hope this helps...
Dark Star wrote on 04/04/10 at 10:33:45 am pst:
[edit]
I should've also said my dogs are pretty rowdy in the scheme of things. While I don't like to bring them on missions that are too steep/exposed, they rage and are pretty competent for dogs. But I also have a solid bc partner that brings his dog on alomst anything (he skied Third Pillar with him which is, no joke, 55 degrees at the crux), so always better to check a line in total, whether dogs have been in it or not, to make sure you're all good with it.
Mark Horoszowski wrote on 03/13/11 at 8:04:15 pm pst:
Thanks for the great post... we just did it ourselves and had a GREAT time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErEk_l5KsiE
