Ski Touring the Ruth Gorge, Denali National Park, Alaska

Ski Touring the Ruth Gorge, Denali National Park, Alaska

Photograph by Garrett Grove

“The slope below us had some avalanche potential, so we had regrouped to assess it,” recalls ski mountaineer Andrew McLean, seen here with Noah Howell and Mark Holbrook on a final descent back to camp after a long ski tour in the Ruth Gorge area of Denali National Park. “I ended up going first but did so very cautiously by ski-cutting the slope and trying to get it to slide. There was some surface sluff but not much else."

“The Ruth Gorge is an incredibly scenic place with tons of climbing history and iconic peaks—Moose’s Tooth, Bear’s Tooth, Dickey, Huntington, and more—all packed into one tight area. It is also very easy to get to," says McLean when recalling the ten-day exploratory trip. "In terms of ski mountaineering, it is kind of all or nothing—either flat or vertical, which makes it a tough place to ski. Still, in the right conditions, there are some amazing lines in that area.” McLean moved to Park City, Utah, 25 years ago. He has made steep, remote first ski descents on all seven continents.