Duke Couloir

Feb 14-15, 2026

Soon after arriving and setting up camp I found myself wallowing waist deep up a couloir. It would be a good weekend!

We had skinned up the road into Caspar Creek and found some nice meadows with a creek nearby for camp. It already being early afternoon we set off for looking for some quick laps close-by. While exploring the area we found a north facing couloir nearby and decided to ski it. The apron was rough with avy debris, but the couloir itself was amazingly deep. The large face skiers left had filled the line with tons of soft sluff. The line was way deeper than anything else in the area. We booted up the couloir until it cliffed out 2/3 of the way up. It was a fun quick objective for an afternoon with limited time.

After a chilly morning start jamming feet into frozen ski boots we skinned up the valley towards Duke-Vantage Col. As we made our way into the treeline the rising sun started lighting up the nearby peaks. No matter how many trips I do into the mountains, those moments of golden hour light never get old.

Once we gained the ridge, the skin track became much more difficult as it became crusty and steep. We booted the final section to the top of the Duke Couloir. We set a rappel making a deadman with a dead tree branch and some 6mm cord. The cornice is large and overhung, forcing you into a free-hanging rappel. I shoved both ends of the rad line into one side of my ATC for extra friction.

Our 30m rope was enough to rappel the massive cornice at the entrance without a ton to spare. If you were trying to rappel off a snow bollard or skiing in a fat spring snowpack you may find yourself coming up slightly short with just a 30m rope.

The snow was great in the couloir, it had sluffed out a lot recently. Leaving behind a firm and very edge-able surface. After some jump turns in the upper section of couloir it lead to fantastic dry powder down to the bottom of the bowl.

The couloir itself is about 200m long over 150m vertical. After exiting the couloir you enter a beautiful bowl with a fairly sustained slope. From the top of the couloir to the bottom of the bowl is a nice 450m vertical run.

Kynan had much less optimal run down the Couloir. On his first jump turn his skis offered up a loud crack and badly delaminated. The skis had delaminated right under his toe piece and partially pulled out the binding. He cautiously sideslipped down the couloir, not trusting the skis to hold together for a second jump turn. Once we were in a safe spot we reinforced the binding with my ECT cord and ski strap. Skis were a pair of QST echos on only their 9th day skiing. Overall it worked out and Kynan was able to gently ski them back to camp and out to the car.