Bruins Pass via Connaught Creek

Bruins Pass is a shorter day by Rogers Pass standards. Being in the Connaught Valley, it can get pretty popular, though conditions for the route can be mixed. To get to Bruins Pass, start at the Discovery Center. The route is well past the restricted zones, so you won't need to pick up a restricted permit. However, if you don't have the annual restricted permit pass, it's a good idea to check in and make sure the Grizzly Shoulder and Ursus are open just in case you change plans. It's also helpful to know if and when there is blasting happening. 

The route leaves from the northern corner of the parking lot passing behind the old Glacier Lodge, through scrub, and behind the radio tower. A short road heads up the creek, eventually crossing a bridge, over rolling terrain above the creek. Keep with this for a few hundred metres before the skin track breaks out into the Connaught Valley. From here it's an easy skin that gently ascending the valley. You'll pass by Grizzly Bowl run out, Teddy Bear Trees, Frequent Flyers Gulley, Dispatch Bowl run out, Ursus Trees, then Hospital Gulley. Through the trees adjacent to Hospital Gully sits Hospital Knob. From here, traversing due west to gain Bruins Ridge is a good option. The slope is very steep, so while the route is short, be sure to watch out for avalanches here. Be wary of where the wind has been coming from, and take group management precautions. 

From here it's a easy shot gently up the ridge. You'll pass short cliff just beneath the narrowing ridge as it approaches the pass. Depending on the snow cover and conditions you can either skin this or bootpack it to the pass. A gendarme sits on the ridge, so you'll need to drop down into the gulley to gain the ridge proper. Beware as this is where there is the highest risk for slides in the whole day. The snow here is very different from the wind-exposed ridge, so it can be tricky to assess from a distance. It's steep enough to slide, so beware, especially with the storm snow that makes this route worth skiing. Be aware of the forecast, historical wind direction, and be responsible. 

As always, this route changes based on conditions. On the Avalanche Terrain Exposure Scale this area is rated Complex, and an Avalanche Skills Training 2 should be considered the minimum required experience to ski this route.