Gavilan Glades

Type: Backcountry or Sidecountry

When avalanche conditions are high enough to necessitate avoiding the steeper chutes, this is a good lower angle tree run near the middle of the Gavilan Trail #60, or after climbing out from the stream after riding one of the Y Chutes.

This glade is a nice, even, fall line slope with trees spaced wide enough to make some elegant turns. While it's generally a mellow slope, it requires effort and motivation to access and brief lengths of exposure to avalanche hazard along the trail, as well as glade skiing experience.

Starting at an almost-level point on the ridge above the switchbacks on the trail, or any chosen point below there, you can enjoy some nice turns through the forest, the fall line drops evenly down across the switchbacks, then to skier's left where the trail crosses a bench above the steep banks of the West Fork of Gavilan Creek. Ski the contours naturally leading towards a stream in a shallow gully, then some short steep drops before rejoining the trail for the rest of the descent back to the trailhead.