Location: Whitewater Ski Area. Purchase a single ridge ticket and ride the Summit Chair.
Time: Half day
Difficulty: Moderate
Distance: Short
Elevation_Gain: 200 meters
Map: 82 F/6
Avalanche Exposure: Challenging
From the top of the Summit Chair ski left along the run on the top of the ridge. Stop at the top of Motherlode and look for the Ski Patrol Warning Sign in the little dip before the traverse. The route stays closely on the ridge and is used by the Ski Patrol as a safe route to the top of their blasting run during high avalanche conditions. After numerous tight switchbacks the top of the ridge is gained. A steep tree glade named “Garbage Chutes” is an exciting descent next to the route of ascent. There are a series of progressively steeper lines ( N facing ) that continue for the next kilometer along this ridge. The trip out to Sherpa Valley takes the flat ridge to the South with cliffs lining the right hand side. After five hundred meters you will break into a small bowl, known as Sherpa Valley. If you would continue further along the ridge you end up dropping down very low km7 on the access road and Mama and Papa Bear Chutes are down that way too. Alternatively traversing left above the ski area takes you to Prospector Bowl which has some amazing steep lines leading back into the ski area. Climbing further past from Prospector’s takes you into the entrance for West Ymir and continuing on from there takes you to the summit of Ymir Peak along with the south facing lines H8 and the south face of Ymir Peak.