Info About Mount Raymond and Gobblers Knob
Mount Raymond and Gobblers Knob are located within the Wasatch Range of Utah. Leaving Big Cottonwood Cayon the trail heads up Butler Fork before splitting between both peaks at a low pass. From here it is easy ridge travel with Mount Raymond (10,197) to the West and Gobblers Knob (10,220) to the East. While this area is popular for summer hiking it makes for a great ski touring link up. For a more interesting exit you could ride the North face of Gobblers Knob exiting via Mill Creek Canyon Road.
Ski Touring up Mill A Gulch
We decided to take a rest day after snowboarding the East Chute of Kesler Peak. By now the storm had been raging for 3 days and it looked like the weather was going to clear up. Wanting to make the most out of a blue sky powder day we left the Mill A Gulch trailhead in Big Cottonwood Canyon. Being a few days after the Wasatch Splitfest Bucky, Steve, Alister and I decided to link up Mount Raymond and Gobblers Knob. Leaving from the trailhead we were happy to have a skin track to follow through the dense trees.
It was beautiful skinning through the pine trees. Before long we crested onto a high ridge and started making our way towards Mount Raymond via the Desolation Trail traverse. Looking up the upper ridge there was a large swath that dropped all the way to the bottom of the basin. While it wasn’t what we were skiing it looked well worth the time to climb it.
Arriving on the low col separating Circle All Peak and Gobblers Knob we had a clear view of the East face of Mount Raymond. The line we intended to ski was still in the shade being the run just right of the summit in the photo below. By now the clouds were starting to burn off and patches of sun were making there way through the clouds.
Ski touring up to Bakers Pass we made our way west along the ridge. What started as easy skinning turned into bootpacking for the final section of the Northeast Ridge of Mount Raymond. Fortunately the snow was deep and we didn’t need crampons with Bucky leading the way to the summit.
Snowboarding the East Face of Mount Raymond
Standing on the summit of Mount Raymond there was an obvious gully on the East side. After we had all transitioned our splitboards we would ride it in sections to minimise exposure to avalanches. Bucky led the way and with a single turn confirmed that the snow was deep.
After he was at a safe spot I followed him over to the side and step up to snap a few photos. Before long Steve was making waist deep turns through some of the lightest snow I had ever experienced.
Though the upper gully had been good the lower apron was unreal. Turn after turn we rode down the East Face until arriving in the valley and switching back to skinning.
Sunset Skin up Gobblers Knob
All of us had big smiles as we made our way back to Bakers Pass. By now there was a solid skin track all the way to the summit of Gobblers Knob. While an hour before we had used this trail to go West it was time to follow it to the East.
It was starting to get later in the day as we followed the ridge up to Gobblers Knob. It seemed that we were just below the top of the clouds and quickly gaining elevation.
Soon enough we were above the clouds and looking down into an inversion.
We had made our way up to Gobblers Knob just as the sun was starting to fall below the clouds. It was surreal to look among what looked like an open sea with just the summits sticking out. In the distance we could see Kessler, Superior and Twin Peaks
The plan was to ride the North face of Gobblers Knob down to Bowman Forks Trailhead on Mill Creek Canyon Road. By now the light had started to fade so we raced down trying to avoid riding via headlamps. The upper face rode great before making our way down Pole Canyon. Fortunately the headlamps were only needed for the bottom Canyon Section.
It was my fourth day within the Wasatch Range and though it was crowded I was happy that we had a skin track to follow. While it isn’t nice to ride down a tracked out run there was more then enough terrain to keep people busy. We didn’t have to put in 80% of the route but had clean lines for both on the East face of Mount Raymond and the Northwest face of Gobblers Knob.
Thank you for reading this trip report and to Bucky for putting on the Wasatch Splitboard Festival.
If you are ever touring in the Wasatch Backcountry make sure to keep up with avalanche conditions by follow the Utah Avalanche Center