Mt Elliot is tucked in among some of the more prominent peaks in the Anchorage front range. With so many larger peaks around, this one hides itself far back on the ridge line past Wolverine peak. An American alpine journal entry about the Western Chugach Range from 1966 briefly mentions this 4710’ peak. The peak is named for Force Sargent Bob Elliot, a climber who summited Denali in 1958, and was killed there in 1960 on a rescue operation. Mt. Elliot was first summited in 1961 on July 1 by John Dillman, at least as far as our recorded history goes.
Maybe my name connection has made me overly interested in the peak, but the couloir on the south side of the mountain is easily visible from town and had attracted my attention for some time as I skied some of the more easily accessible lines in the Front Range. Eventually I had to go do the walk back there to check it out.
Clint Helander and I are usually able to get out for a good mountain adventure once or twice a year. He usually needs a bit of time to forget the poorly protected climbs or long ski approaches I sandbag him with before he agrees to go out again. I had already attempted to get back to Elliot once earlier in November 2021 with other partners. Low coverage had turned us around on the way down to Black Lake forcing us to change objectives for the day, but I was interested in going back.
On 1/18 Clint and I headed up the Williwaw Valley from Glen Alps, using good snow coverage at lower elevations to get to the bottom of the south couloir in relatively good time. Grey skies and high winds had us tucked in to the small trees at the base, munching on snacks and donning layers as we got hit by gusts. For some reason it always seems to be windy when I get Clint to do something with me. We were all the way back there, and despite the wind it didn’t seem to be loading up, so we threw the skis on our backs and started to kick steps uphill.
Our line of ascent is a broad couloir that rises 1400’ to the ridge line before turning right and climbing another 300’ of scrambling terrain to the top. As is common with many ski descents in the Chugach, clicking into our skis at the summit would have resulted in destroyed gear and tomahawking into rocks. We tagged the top and then walked back down the ridge a couple hundred feet before starting the ski descent. There were some steeper turns off the ridge line as we dropped into the gut of the gully, and then we were able to open it up and ski as fast as we wanted to in great snow.
We cruised a little further down the valley before switching back to uphill mode and ascending up past Black Lake and the Ballfield. Optimism brought us up the backside of False Peak to a windy col and a beautiful view of Anchorage. One last descent for the day off of the south side of False Peak on wind scoured snow, and a short ski to Glen Alps, and our tour was done.
Coming up the Williwaw valley in the morning.
Clint booting up the South couloir, Omalley Falls ice climb in the backround.
Traversing terrain near the summit.
Steeper upper couloir terrain.
Time to open it uo! Fun skiing down low in the couloir.
Clint kinda psyched back at the bottom.
Top of the last run, False Peak.