Self Guided: Southwest Gulch Backcountry Ski Trip

The 'pinnacle' of backcountry skiing in Western Newfoundland is Southwest Gulch in Gros Morne National Park. Skiing in this area is mostly done over a series of days while staying at the cabin located there, but ambitious skiers or snowboarders with full touring set ups can make a big day of the area. This place has it all; open bowls, chutes, glades and beautiful views on clear days. 

Below is my account of a 4 day trip with experienced friends and my tips on what you need to do to book the cabin, what gear to pack and more!

We had stayed overnight in Woody Point the night before we planned to head into the cabin. This made getting to the trailhead to meet up with our snowmobile shuttle nice and easy and allowed us to review all our gear and food. Being a group of five went in as two groups with all our gear loaded into the sled behind the snowmobile, making the 8km approach a breeze. 

Southwest gulch cabin is nestled in a small group of trees, filled in with snow - a true skiers paradise. 

We settled in, organized our food and then geared up to head out exploring. It was windy, but visibility was good so we skinned the main bowl to check out the snowpack and try out some turns. Wind packed snow made the climb a bit tough at the top but it was fast and fun coming back down! 

We did three laps then headed in for supper, games by the fire, some yoga and a solid nights sleep. 

We awoke to blue skies and more wind. Today we explored the bowl again, then headed over to the little hill north east of the cabin to access the Japan trees area. We climbed up and skied 3-4 laps of the east side of this hill (this is what I understand to be the Japan trees!) and the snow was deep, fluffy and fun. The trees here are well spaced and about as good as glades get for Newfoundland! We then skied back along the skidoo trail to the cabin. 

Another evening spend cooking up a feed and hanging out by the fires before another deep, restful sleep. 

Today the clear skies were still hanging around but the wind had finally settled down! Today was the day for our big traverse over to the chute. This area is 10km away from the cabin, so we had to first climb up the main bowl area on a wind packed crust then traverse the icey, rocky plateau of the Tablelands. 

We stopped at the top of the chute for lunch and a break, as well as to scout the line, assess the snowpack and switch around our gear. With skins and snowshoes off and skis and boards on, we planned our descent. I was pretty nervous this was my biggest backcountry descent yet but I was with experienced backcountry riders who knew my skill level and we had all decided this would be safe for everyone to try today. The plan was for Jamie to go first, pump some hard turns (to verify our assessment of the snowpack as stable) then for him to hook left and tuck in behind a big rock outcrop, safely out of the avalanche path and radio back when he was there. He dropped in and pumped. Made some big fun turns and ripped over behind the rock. With my heart in my throat I waited for the radios to go off..."Jamie to team" he said, "All good!". So then, one at a time, we each took our turn riding from the starting spot to the safe zone and what an amazing thrill to ski!! When we had all made it to the safe spot, the cheers erupted! High on adrenaline and fresh air, we planned out next section and again, one by one, road the chute to the next safe spot. We all got fresh turns and at the bottom, standing beside Shoal Brook, we rejoiced in the days accomplishments with well earned beer in the sun!

After the epic ride through the chute, I was exhausted and we still had to ski back to the cabin. We took our time, skinning up through Southwest Gulch, Caroline, Jamie and I chatting along the way while Kyle and Cory climbed along the side, preparing for one last run back to the cabin. 

After dinner, we were relaxing around the fire when Caroline said "I wonder if there's any northern lights out" and she dashed outside to see. I quickly dressed and followed, only to find her siting in the snow staring at a green haze in the distance. I ran back inside to tell the guys and we all got out in time to watch them dance and sparkle over the Tablelands. Pure magic!

After 3 full days of skiing, my legs were toast. I joined in for the morning ski, doing 2 runs and then headed back to to the cabin. Kyle went out earlier with his gear and mine in the sled, as I now skied the 7 kms from the cabin down and out to Birch Head. An easy ski along the snowmobile track, most of which I didn't need skins for. Back at the car, I loaded my gear and took one last look back at Pic A Tenerife feeling bittersweet about leaving this winter playground and already looking forward to next seasons adventure!

Maps

• Download PDF with driving directions, parking info and access route to cabin. 
• Get topo map Lomond 12 H/5
• Cabin UTM coordinates E 0432300 N 5474600

All About Southwest Gulch Cabin

• TO BOOK: Call the Gros Morne Co-op at (709) 458-3605/3610 and talk to Darlene. 
• COST: $30 per person, per night or $180 for exclusive use, regardless of the number. A credit card is required to make a booking.
• CABIN DETAILS:
  • Min 2 people/ max 10 people. (This is enforced due to insurance regulations, exceeding 10 people will be subject to $500.00 fine)
  •  Two storey building about 90 square metres with a sleeping loft upstairs. Propane lighting and cooking stoves (propane is supplied). Kitchen includes; sink with drain, tables, benches, cutlery, dishes and pots to accommodate 10 people. The cabin is heated with a wood stove (axe and wood supplied).  For water, you will have to melt snow and/or carry water from the brook (must boil for drinking) and keep a supply on hand to flush the indoor flush toilet (with septic field). Beds are wood frames with 5 inch thick foam mattresses (bring your sleeping bag). 
• All info was obtained from Gros Morne National Park website and prices list here are listed as an estimate only. Contact Gros Morne Co-op for availability and current pricing. 

Best Time to Go

• The season for backcountry skiing is from January to April, depending on snow conditions.

Route Stats

• Difficulty: advanced terrain with avalanche risk
• Distance from road to cabin: 7- 8 km (depending on route)
• Time from road to cabin: 3 - 5 hours (one way)
• Elevation: 360 m

What to Bring

Download the Southwest Gulch Packing List

• Jamie Harnum and Caroline Swan - for inviting me on this epic adventure and letting me use their awesome pictures!
• Cory Bertrand - for ongoing support in doing adventurous things slightly outside my comfort zone! 
• Kyle Landry - for your happy nature and excellent photos skills! *The northern lights pics are his!
• Gros Morne Co-op - for maintaining this awesome cabin, allowing us to stay and play in this incredible area! 
• Henry - the snowmobile transport guy! 

I already have the cabin booked for another week this season and am so looking forward to getting off grid, skiing everyday and spending time with amazing people, outdoors and on the go!

If you have questions about this adventure, email me at [email protected] or if you have tips to share from a past trip, please comment below!