Gun Barrels

Gun Barrels are a set of open, parallel chutes dropping off the west side of McGill Shoulder in Rogers Pass, within Glacier National Park’s winter permit system. You reach them by skinning the sustained forested ridge of McGill Shoulder from the Bostock trailhead until just above treeline, then continuing along the narrowing ridge until you’re looking down into the obvious west-facing gullies.

The terrain is classic interior alpine: a broad upper bowl that funnels into several defined chutes before spilling onto a wide avalanche fan. Slopes are steep enough to slide and are frequently affected by wind, with stiff slabs near the ridge and cross-loading into the gullies. The fan and lower creek area can hide terrain traps, ice and small waterfalls, especially after warm or thin-snow periods.