Christmas Lake was not the only backcountry option on the Beartooth Highway that we scoped after skiing on June 22. We met some people skiing the Gardiner Headwall about 2:30. It faces east but with the overcast and wind was at its best for that day in the afternoon. On June 23 we were driving into Yellowstone, so to consider skiing we needed a sunny day for it to soften the snow in the morning.

Fortunately the weather cooperated and we parked near the western summit about 10:15AM. Here we’re starting the short walk from the highway.


The access is very easy, maybe 5 minutes of level walking from the road to the top of the snow. Liz on the traverse in.


A couple of other people arrived just after us. The wind blew one skier’s hat off, so he’s skiing near the rocks here to the closest point to retrieve it.


I traversed higher and farther skier’s right than Liz, then took pics of her skiing the upper center of Gardiner Headwall.




Then she shot me on skier’s right.




On the last pic the snow patch at left is the end of our run. Gardiner Lake is off to the right.

Liz lower down.



Here’s a shot for Mapadu. A local woman skied the Gardiner Headwall with her enthusiastic companion barking all the way down.

I’m at the bottom with our 780 vertical ski run in the background.


Liz in same spot with Gardiner Lake behind.


And here is the climb ahead of us.

After the short rocky section in foreground there was an established bootpack up the snow to within 50 feet of the road. It took us half an hour to climb the 560 vertical, then another 10 minutes before Liz got a ride to retrieve our car from the top. More skiers on the bootpack while I’m awaiting pickup.


For a backcountry ski run Gardiner Headwall has a high reward-to-grunt-work ratio. Some of the locals we met do a Gardiner run in the morning, then buy a half day ticket for the poma lifts starting at 12:30PM.

The Beartooth Highway continued to impress with scenery all the way to Cooke City.