Greg of Slides - 1/13/26

Jan 14, 2026

By Greg McMillan

With a solid crew assembled and some sunshine and low winds in the forecast, we packed our bags and met at the Pinkham parking lot for what was sure to be a great day on the hill. After a quick powwow we decided on Gulf of Slides as our objective. We set out a tad before 9 and made our way up the trail, running into Stu who noted that Main Gully had great snow waiting to be carved up.

The sun was out and layers were shed, almost feeling like Spring for a minute until we ducked backed into the shade, cooling off and eventually poking out into the runout of Main Gully. The snow looked stable so we made our way up the pre-existing booter and got to about 3/4 up the Gully before the snow firmed up as it was more exposed to the extreme winds of days prior.

I went first and enjoyed some of the best turns of my season thus far! The snow was better than expected and it felt great to open it up a bit and lean into some turns, something that isn't always possible 'round here. The gang followed suit, slashing and carving their way down one by one.

We regrouped down low and after a quick discussion opted to check out Gully No. 5 next. Not before Caleb made a little side quest to jump the ice bulge on Main before heading out of there. The gang booted back up Main and traversed over to Gully No. 5, much easier said than done. We encountered a few patches of ice and crusty snow which required care to cross safely. Luckily it was a beautiful day for a walk in the alpine: low winds, hardly any clouds, and good company made for a pleasant romp around.

Things stayed interesting as we made our way down into Gully No. 5. We traversed across an icy crust into the Gully and discovered the snow surface was not improving. I skied down a bit and the snow remained the same icy crust, so the group made the call to don crampons again and downclimb until the snow improved. About half way down the snow turned from icy crust to softer windslab. A quick hand pit determined we were good to go, so skis went back on and we made our way down and out back to the Gulf of Slides Ski Trail.

The runout of where Gully 5 and the Fingers meet was still a bit brushy but the coverage was good, care and quick feet were required to get through but skis remained on. We scooted down the trail through some patches of fresh snow and some patches of firm ice, the usual for mid January. About half way down we saw a couple familiar faces, Abby and Frank dog. After the quick family reunion we continued on to the parking lot, enjoying a frosty cold one after a longer than anticipated day. I'm happy to report both of the major water crossings on GOS are frozen over which makes for smooth sailing in and out of the trail.

The day was a solid mix of great turns, wandering in the alpine, a little faffing, and lots of laughs. Lining up good snow, good partners, and hospitable weather is no easy task. But when they come together, it makes for a memorable day.

Thats all for now, I'll see you on the hill!

- Greg