Hospital Gullies

Hospital Gullies sit on the north side of the Connaught Creek ski touring corridor in Glacier National Park, dropping out of Hospital Bowl beneath Video Peak into defined avalanche paths that funnel back toward the main uptrack. You reach them from the Connaught Creek skintrack that leaves the Rogers Pass parking and trends west up-valley, passing Grizzly Shoulder, Teddy Bear Trees, Frequent Flyer Gully and other slide paths before you hit the open fan and trees below Hospital Gully and Hospital Knob.

The lines themselves are short, steep gullies with overhead start zones and corniced ridgelines above. They collect transported snow and can be heavily wind-loaded, especially after storms with southwest through west winds. Expect confined terrain with defined sidewalls, convex rolls and terrain-trap runouts that can stack debris deep in bigger avalanche cycles. Cornice fall from the ridges above has triggered large avalanches here in the past, so treat the overhead hazard as seriously as the snow under your feet.

These runs ski best in deep, stable conditions once a solid base has filled in the creek features and small cliffs; thin coverage exposes rocks, creek holes and old debris, and the gullies can get quickly hammered by traffic when the Connaught zone is busy. Use the established Connaught uptrack for efficient laps, but step off it to transition and regroup out of the main paths. Strong group spacing, one-at-a-time travel through the gut, and conservative terrain choices when wind slabs or persistent weak layers are in play are key to keeping Hospital Gullies fun instead of consequential.

Hospital Gullies lie inside Glacier National Park’s winter permit system. Check the daily Rogers Pass bulletin, avalanche forecast and Winter Restricted Area maps before heading out, and make sure everyone in the group has the required winter permit and understands the Connaught Creek closures and artillery control zones. When the Hospital paths or adjacent start zones are closed for avalanche control, respect the closures and pick another objective in the corridor.

For current access rules, winter permits and daily avalanche control closures, see Parks Canada’s Glacier National Park information: Parks Canada – Glacier National Park.