Beartrap Aspens

Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry

Follow the route to Beartrap Fork. Skirt to the right of the terrain-trap gully that is mentioned in those instructions. When you are the a small ridge, just above the gully, the trail splits with the left branch heading downhill slightly to rejoin the track after the gully and the right branch climbing up through the aspens. Take the right branch and switchback up through the aspens (it's also common to have a skin track just after the gully that climbs up through the aspens—take your pick).

There is plenty of good skiing through the (occasionally tight) aspen trees. You can pick the aspect, from northwest to southwest, based on the snow conditions. It's best to avoid the area just above the aspens, and just below the steep rocky hill, because the rocky slope is steep enough to—and frequently does—avalanche (it buried a skier on January 24, 2010). The rest of the Beartrap Aspens has low avalanche risk. This would be beginner terrain if it weren't for the trees.