Dromedary Peak Chute
- CJ Wolf
- Jan 26
- 2 min read
Fast Facts:
Start Elevation: 6,190
Peak Elevation: 10,732
Daily Vertical: 5,419 (see Strava)
Distance: 9.25 miles
Elapsed Time: 4:15
Date: Jan 25, 2026
It had been 17 days since our last storm and the only real storm of January. This January will go down as one of the warmest and driest on record. As such, it was hard to find the motivation to ski today—but I couldn’t turn down a sufferfest inspired by my nephews.
They had skied the day before in the Meadow Chutes of Silver Fork and reported that the surface hoar was “deep,” producing surprisingly fresh, powder-like conditions. With that intel, they wanted to find terrain that hadn’t seen much recent traffic, so they settled on Broads Fork. With Broads low elevation, it would require a long bootpack which would minimize the skier traffic.
The hike in turned out to be much longer than any of us expected. We had to hike all the way to the meadow before we could put skis on, roughly 2.5 miles in and around 8,500 feet.
Even when we put on our skis- it was still really low tide with shrubs everywhere.
Once you get below Blue Ice, the chutes between Sunrise Peak and Dromedary start to come into view.
As we approached Sunrise and Dromedary, it became clear that the snow surface had been wind-jacked, likely the result of the 40+ mph winds recorded on Mt. Baldy the night before.
We debated which chute to ski, and given that the snow conditions weren’t going to be great, we opted for the wider, less-steep option on the looker’s left.
Despite this chute being less steep than the one to the west (closer to Sunrise), it was still 40+ degrees.
We initially thought we might be able to skin all the way to the top—something that could be possible with a foot of fresh snow—but with the snowpack completely bulletproof, it quickly became apparent that booting was the only option.
It was now after 2 p.m., and the high for the day on Mt. Baldy at 11,050 feet was just 1 degree. It was getting cold fast, and we knew the wind would be howling at the top. Right at the top of the chute is a small landing zone, with a very steep drop into Tanner’s on the other side. The wind was blowing so hard that everyone rushed through the transition—I didn’t even consider stopping for a photo or installing the GoPro.
Normally on a pitch this steep the protocol is to ski one at a time, but with the avalanche danger rated low (green), we all skied the chute together.
We briefly discussed skiing another chute on the north side of Dromedary, but given how poor the conditions were—and how cold and windy it had become—everyone was ready to head out. Lower down we finally found a protected, north-facing aspect where the snow stayed light and chalky in the trees, providing a much-needed reward before the bushwacking began on the lower slopes.
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