| Mount Olympus Couloir | |
|---|---|
| Terrain | Wide Chute |
| Drainage | Norths Fork |
| Ascent Vertical | 3,300' |
| Skiing Vertical | 1,000' |
| Location | 40.6582° / -111.7705° |
| Online Map | View on wbskiing.com |
The Mount Olympus Couloir is on the east side of the saddle that is between the two Mount Olympus summits. It is almost a mirror image of the west-facing Tolcats Couloir, except Tolcats is a little steeper and a little narrower.
When viewed from the east, the Mount Olympus Couloir is on the leftward fringe of the Memorial Couloirs. It is definitely the gentler of these east-facing couloirs, with the slope averaging a gentle 30° except at the very top where it is around 40°. As with Tolcats, steeper snow accumulates along the rock wall to the south.
The Mount Olympus Couloir is usually skied in conjunction with Tolcats. Often by skiing Tolcats, ascending back to the saddle, and skiing out the Mount Olympus Couloir and Neffs Canyon.
The final chapter in my book, Mountain Responder, tells of a winter climbing accident where rescuers ended up spending the night with four injured climbers in Mount Olympus Couloir. This photograph from a LifeFlight helicopter provides a great view of the Mount Olympus Couloir. The small circle in the photo shows were the seven of us spent the night.
As with Tolcats, it is a toss-up as to whether it is better to access the Mount Olympus Couloir from the Mount Olympus trailhead or from Neffs. It's definitely shorter from the Mount Olympus trailhead, but it is a pain to get through the scrub oak to the top of Tolcats. And although it is a longer (and less steep) trek from Neffs, the Mount Olympus Couloir is on the Neffs side of Mount Olympus.
Starting at the Mt. Olympus trailhead on Wasatch Boulevard, hike the summer trail until it makes a hard right-hand turn at the Tolcats stream (that's the first "stream" the trail crosses). Depart the trail and head up the stream bed (i.e., go left) until you reach Tolcats Couloir. Keep your skis mounted low on your pack, or keep them in your hands, to get through the scrub oak. The vegetation often forces me looker's left. Depending on the snowpack, skin and/or boot up the couloir until you reach the saddle between the two peaks.
Starting at the Neffs Canyon trailhead in Olympus Cove, head up the Neffs Canyon trail until it turns to the left (after about ten minutes). Keep heading straight ahead on the less-traveled skin track that heads up Norths Fork (and which is used to access the Memorial Couloirs). It isn't as easy to recognize as you might think, but at some point you'll come to the Mount Olympus Couloir.
About the Name
Before I saw this called the Mount Olympus Couloir in Tyson Bradley's Backcountry Skiing Utah book, I considered this one of the left-most of the Memorial Couloirs (I've heard people refer to this as Memorial Couloir #2). I would have expected the name Mount Olympus Couloir to be used for Tolcats Couloir or for one of the couloirs on the north side of Mount Olympus, but it's a fitting name none the less.
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.
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