| Twin Lakes Pass | |
|---|---|
| Pass Elevation | 9,993' |
| Pass Location | 40.5944° / -111.6091° |
| Trailhead | Grizzly Gulch Trailhead |
| Online Map | View on wbskiing.com |
Twin Lakes Pass is at the top of Grizzly Gulch. The pass provides a great view of the Twin Lakes Reservoir and the Wolverine Cirque. You can also see the top of Brighton's Milly chairlift from the pass.
If you ascend the ridge that is south of Twin Lakes Pass, you will skin along the upper edge of the Patsey Trees and arrive at the Patsey Marley summit. You can then continue to the chutes in Wolverine Cirque or to the summit of Mount Wolverine. (See a macro view of the Twin Lakes area.)
If you ascend the ridge that is north of the pass, you will be on the Honeycomb Cliffs overlooking Solitude ski resort. From there you can select from numerous runs into Grizzly Gulch.
  |
|
| Twin Lakes Pass from Grizzly Gulch | |
|---|---|
| Trailhead | Grizzly Gulch Trailhead |
| Ascent Vertical | 1,300' |
| Skinning Distance | 1.3 miles |
To get to Twin Lakes Pass, park at the Grizzly Gulch trailhead. Rather than going up the gully from the parking lot (which is an unnecessary terrain trap), pass the gate at the far end of the parking lot, skin past the parked snowcats, and continue about 1,000 feet up the road until you see a groomed-by-a-snowcat trail on your left.
Follow the track up and to your left for about 15 minutes as it shortcuts across the groomed trail a couple of times and works its way into Grizzly Gulch. After about 30 minutes Grizzly Gulch widens and you will have a good view of the entire gulch (see photos).
When the Gulch widens you have two options. You can continue up the snowcat road which is generally safe, but it does expose you to the steeper slopes that come down from Patsey Marley on your right, or you can stay closer to the power poles and pick a moderate-angle line to Twin Lakes Pass. (The power lines go up Grizzly Gulch, over Twin Lakes Pass, and pass just above the top of Brighton's Milly chairlift. Knowing where these power lines are located helps me stitch the two canyons together.) It takes about an hour to get to Twin Lakes Pass from the Grizzly parking lot.
Beginner terrain
that is good as you develop your backcountry skills and when the avalanche danger is higher. Click for details.
Intermediate
terrain that requires more experience in skinning and skiing. Click for details.
Advanced terrain
that requires strong skiing and skinning skills. Click for details.
Expert terrain that is
challenging and a small mistake can have serious consequences. Click for details.
Extreme terrain
that includes insanely difficult chute skiing and beyond. Click for details.
The difficulty of this terrain
varies widely. Click for details.
This terrain hasn't
been rated. Click for details.
