Siskin Chutes

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Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry

Fresh powder stashes, little to no traffic, easily lap-able, and excellent views north to Clark Peak. A western-oriented slope (w/ north variations) helps when wind loading makes many east-facing slopes too dangerous to ski. Best (assuming average to above average snowpack) from late Jan-early April. Great objective from Clark Peak yurt.

You're pretty out there. There's a ranger station off Highway 14, and there are usually people camped out by North Michigan Lake. I believe the yurts at Clark Peak are under new ownership, so you can rent those out and spend more time exploring this area (including the nearby Lil' Japan route), but for the most part, this is not a super well-trafficked area during the winter.

Take the Ruby Jewel/Clark Peak Yurts Approach to ~10,370 ft. A large meadow will be visible through thinning trees in front of you. Instead of continuing on the approach to it, look to your right for an old roadbed. It is not maintained but used to be a logging road (visible on Google Earth satellite view but not on local trail maps), and the cut it makes to the SE should be obvious. Take this road cut from ~10,370 to ~10,700 ft. above sea level. Traverse NE (left) away from the road cut at ~10,700 or the third switchback, if you're counting. Maintain your elevation or rise slightly on the traverse until you get to an obvious gully and meadow.

Note: Roadbed access up until this point makes things seem easy but once you leave the road, you'll have to connect to the end of the run by yourself. Carry accurate navigation tools and exercise caution. This, by itself, makes it harder than your average backcountry run. This traverse is also how you exit the area. DO NOT continue down the gully below ~10,700, it funnels into a steep and consequential area with terrain traps with avy risk.

Continue until you find the obvious gully feature. If you look to you left, you'll see where it funnels into a tight and dangerous area (avalanche prone with terrain traps). To your right, you should see an open and steeper slope extending up the ridge. While possible to ski this, it carries more avalanche risk than what I've drawn. My recommendation for a longer, more enjoyable run is to follow the gully uphill until you break treeline. Option 1 is to go as high as soft powder allows in the drainage and ski back the way you came.

However, for superb views and a more varied run, angle right (south) after treeline to gain the ridge. Once you gain the ridge, ascend east as high as quality snow allows. Where you start will depend on available coverage. Due to the slope's position, the upper areas are often pummeled by prevailing westerly wind, which creates uneven, chunky, and icy coverage where it isn't windswept. The best skiing is from treeline down. Rip skins at ~11,325, or as high as you're willing to go, and ski west for a few turns until sighting a large, open, and relatively gentle meadow (Right/North) leading back into the gully you climbed from. This slope is almost guaranteed to be untouched after a storm. Ski to the gully and follow it back to ~10,700. STOP and either lap your route or retrace your traverse back to the road cut to exit the area. You can ski the road down to the Ruby Jewel approach.

Decent moose population in the area, give them plenty of space.