The McGee Creek Chutes are a series of gullies and couloirs that grace the south wall of McGee Creek Canyon, just past the entrance to Esha Canyon. All but the last of these are dead north-facing and many are protected by big rock walls and a tight canyon, meaning that the snow is quite often good. Add to this a slight element of obscurity, and getting fresh tracks in cool lines is pretty easy in this zone. These are also great options if you’re looking for a bit more vert after skiing Esha Canyon, as they can generally be accessed from the backside of the ridge.
The McGee Creek Chute 'wall' as seen from the McGee Creek Trailhead
From the trailhead, the massive wall (about 1 mile long) looks like a jumbled mass of rock - which isn’t that inaccurate. As you start up-canyon, however, a number of aesthetic and skiable lines begin to take shape.
It is safe to say that there are a number of possibilities along this face, though there are four main/obvious lines, numbered from left to right, #1 thru #4.
McGee Creek Chute, #1
McGee Creek Chute #1
This chute lies just past (west) the entrance to Esha Canyon, and is a squiggly line that meanders to the ridgeline above. With enough snow, there is one obvious line, and a plethora of other side chutes and terrain features that can be linked up.
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Vertical: 2,500′
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Aspect: North
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Angle: 35º+
McGee Creek Chute #2
McGee Creek Chute #2
This is a much more obvious, and truly cool line that lies about 300 yards up-canyon from the first one.
The lower portion of the chute are surrounded by pretty sizable rock walls which shelter it pretty well from wind, and help keep the snow in good condition. Obviously there are a ton a variations to this, but the most commonly skied line starts just to the looker’s right of the small pinacle that is near the lowpoint in the ridge at the top of the chute.
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Vertical: 3,000′
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Aspect: North
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Angle: 35º+
Turret Top
Turret Top
This is a cool feature that I nick-named that sits right between the 3rd & 4th McGee Creek Chutes (the 3rd descends just to the looker’s left of the dark rock beneath the left-hand most spire and the 4th is behind the large fin of rock on the right side).
There are two really nice couloirs that descend the far right and left side of this feature, as well as a bunch of other lines that can be pieced together once there’s enough snow.
McGee Creek Chute #4
McGee Creek Chute #4
This and the 2nd McGee Creek Chute are obviously the most aesthetic and prominent lines of everything along this wall. While this couloir isn’t tremendously steep (about 40º), it is relatively narrow and surrounded by huge rock walls on both sides.
There’s a cool alternate option that lies just to the looker’s right of the massif of rock that forms the right hand side of the chute and can be entered from the top of the main part of the 4th Chute, or via the spires to the looker’s right.
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Vertical: 3,000′
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Aspect: Northwest
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Angle: 40º