Finally able to get into Cadotte backcountry

Coming up from the Third Gulch Cadotte bottom 

Yes, it was frosty

Looking at the endless tele possibilities before dropping over the side into the Second Gulch bottom 

Mark Hertenstein works his way back up for another tele run

I've been trapped in town by the bitterly cold and snowy weather unable to enjoy the backcountry for three solid weeks!
That came to an end Wednesday when Wayne's walkers took to the Cadotte Creek ridges just west of Rogers Pass, and again Friday when we completed an unfinished Wednesday loop.
We weren't out for too long either day, but were able to ascend one of those ridges, experiencing great powder and not much wind crust.
We've averaged about a degree below zero for the entire month and have topped it off with high winds, sending daily wind chills to 30 and 40 below!
I've long touted this area, but have had difficulty getting friends to join me there.
It is nearly as close as the drive to Kings Hill in the Little Belts --- 71 miles to Rogers Pass and another 5 miles to a great, plowed Cadotte Creek parking area.
A gain of a mere 400 feet makes one feel high in this alpine country.
It was out and back on Wednesday.
This area has a series of parallel gulches running west from Cadotte Creek, starting at Cadotte and running consecutively Third, Second and First gulches to Bartlett Creek.
On Saturday we ascended Third Gulch Ridge as we had on Wednesday, but then continued a loop that took us to Second Gulch and back.  We cut it a bit short by telemarking off Second Gulch to the valley floor, about a half mile from where we had parked our car just below the Third Gulch Ridge point.  We covered three miles and more than 1,000 feet in elevation gain.
The views all the way are spectacular --- this is Continental Divide Trail country.  There's Rogers Peak and the ridge to Flesher Pass to the east and south, and ridges that lead to Cadotte Pass to the north.  Once a ridge is attained these mountains look really huge.
I just don't understand why backcountry skiers aren't flocking to this area.
We had tons of wind Friday.  It made me feel as though I was on the east side of the mountains.
This area has a large herd of wintering elk and we saw numerous moose sign.
While we hued to the ridges, the bottoms are equally inviting in all of these gulches, broad expanses that slope gently up hill.
Wayne will take his group, including me, on the full loop next Wednesday.