Mount Gould – North Face
Thank goodness I had my crampons! Following my climb-and-ski of Mount Gould's east face a week ago, I returned this Monday to try Gould's north face, expecting a similarly-modest descent.
That was not the case.
Somehow I recalled reading that Gould's north face was just a big 35 degree snowfield in one of my guidebooks. With (alas!) no way to check the books again, I just looked at the mountain in Google Earth, nodded my head, and packed my bags.
I am upgrading my opinion on Gould's complexity. In addition to the fantastic skiing on the south and east faces, there are at least a few interesting chutes off the mountain's northeast ridge, and there are actually lots of interesting options on the north face—which is most definitely not 35 degrees.
I actually left my axe in the car, thinking I couldn't possibly need it. The reasonable thing to do, when I saw that reality and my mental map did not line up, would have been to turn around and go home. I...did not do that.
Instead, I did my best to contend with the steepness plus spent legs plus a very unpleasant mix of variable snow that would absolutely have been better an hour or two earlier.
For this video I tried something new: I clipped my GoPro to one of my backpack straps. This makes for a pretty strange perspective, including the camera seeming to have a life of its own at times. In any case, I let the whole clip run, top to bottom, so you can see exactly what it was like.
— May 21, 2025
My family and I are deeply grateful to all of you for your kind words, encouragement, and offers of support. Every message and every gesture—big or small—has meant a lot to us. We're doing the best we can ❤️
Dan Conger May 27, 2025 at 6:58 pm
What a great trip. Climate change is affecting so much. In my favorite backpacking location on the east side, there is (was) a small glacier at the head of the canyon. It’s arguably not a glacier anymore. So sad to see the mountains changing so much, and so much worse that many don’t seem to care.