The Rock Garden

Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry

This route connects the well-traveled Banana Bowls back to the Flattop Mountain trail through the trees on a direct line, rather than skiing to the trail and skiing it down.

About halfway up the east face of Flattop Mountain, in between the main runs of the Banana Bowls and the Flattop Mountain Approach trail, one can simply ski a direct line through the trees to connect back to the trail/skintrack, rather than skiing to the bottom of the Bowls and skiing the hiking trail all the way down.

Some route-finding (easily abetted by a GPS watch) is needed on this route, hence the intermediate rating, although most lines in here will naturally spit you out onto the trail.

Care should be taken not to descend lower than the hiking trail, or some additional up-hilling will be required (frequently the skiing below the trail will be very enticing, but be warned).

The skiing in these trees is quite mellow as they are well spaced and low-angled.