Buffalo Mountain: North Couloir (aka Silver Couloir, also Elvis)

The north couloir on Buffalo (12777 feet), also called the Silver Couloir, also called Elvis, is justifiably famous, as it offers a steep 3000-foot ski descent. The bottom gets mushy early, so don’t wait too late for this classic line. Just climb Buffalo and ski northeast from the summit. This route is a stone’s throw from my house. On my first trip into it (with Katie Larson and Bob Salazar) my bindings broke 500 feet down and I had to walk down. Lesson learned. Then I skied it properly with Janet Jacks two years later.

Do not underestimate the potential for avalanche when steepness combines with warm spring weather. In mid-May, 2005, there was a serious accident due to an avalanche on this route. This route also saw a double avalanche fatality on April 9, 1993. And on March 31, 2012, in icy conditions, a skier fell to his death.