MacDonald Gully #5

MacDonald Gully #5 drops off the north side of Mount Macdonald above the Trans-Canada corridor in Glacier National Park, in the Rogers Pass winter permit area. It is a confined north-facing chute with big overhead walls and cornices, holding cold, stiff snow but also catching wind slab and storm debris. Expect sustained, planar skiing with short rollovers rather than a single obvious crux, and serious exposure if anything moves.

From the Rogers Pass parking and winter permit trailheads, you skin into the Macdonald north-side basin following the designated uptrack for the day, then trend into the gully’s lower fan before committing to the walls. The line funnels into a waterfall zone around 1,650 m where thin coverage, ice and holes can force downclimbing or a full retreat; in lean or warming periods this section can be genuinely no-fall. Above, the chute is more straightforward but still threatened by cornices and hangfire from the upper face.

This is serious avalanche terrain inside an actively controlled highway corridor. You must comply with the Rogers Pass winter permit system, daily area openings and closures, and any artillery or explosive control work; closures are enforced and violations can mean fines and loss of access. Strong parties wait for a deep, well-bridged snowpack, low hazard, and minimal recent loading before committing, and treat the gully as a one-at-a-time, heads-up run with tight group management. For current access, closures and avalanche information, see Parks Canada – Glacier National Park and the linked Rogers Pass winter permit and avalanche pages.