The north gully on Emerson is an alluring couloir that attracts ice climbers on the fall. In the spring, however it is a classic destination among skiers. On Saturday, April the 23 of 2005, we started from Aspendale (8400ft) at 8am. Alan, Dave and I climbed some hills to the west and contoured till Birch creek, the drainage to the north of Emerson. At 11am we were at the bottom of the gully and had a quick lunch (at 11,286ft), so that we started climbing the gully at 11:30am. Dave went to check out another gully further west on Emerson, something like the camel toe couloir. At 12:40 we were at 12400ft in the north gully and got surprised by strong winds. Heavy spin drift followed and the winds would carry it back up shortly after, and then again. The couloir had a continuous river of snow, up to two feet thick at times. The visibility was bad, we decided to go down. At the bottom of the gully we found Dave that had had his own epic trying to cross a blue ice section and gotten avalanched 5 times. We were back in the car at 4pm.
The zebra and north gullies on Emerson
Alan climbing the north gully
The storm
Dave and Alan by the zebra couloir
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