Backcountry Skiing Mount Fuji

Lolo Pass has a huge range of low-angle skiing, and while most routes are right off the road, Mount Fuji is set back a bit further, with a 1.5 mile approach to a relatively short climb to a casual summit. It's a very scenic tour with big views out toward Lolo Peak and across the Bitterroot zone and is very beginner friendly.

A disclaimer on this description and included GPX track - this line was skied on a single day with certain snow and avalanche conditions. The track described is a reasonable way to move through this terrain, and the description below mentions some of the hazards found during the trip. However, conditions may be significantly different when you visit this area. The advice in this trip report is not meant to be followed perfectly - you will need to adapt the route for the conditions you find and for your party’s abilities.

The Basics

• Seasonality/Snow: Depending on the snowpack, Mount Fuji can be skied from December to April.

• Snow Stability: This tour travels through avalanche terrain so be sure to check Missoula Avalanche Center (our local avalanche center) before heading out. In addition, take the time to assess stability along your route - does your assessment line up with the forecast?

• Parking: You'll need to pay to park at Lolo Pass. As of Winter 2022, it's $5 per day (or you can get a variety of cheaper options if you'll be up here a lot).

The Equipment

Depending on when you’re going and what the snow is like, you’ll need some equipment to keep having fun. There are the obvious ones, including your backcountry ski/splitboarding setup, personal safety gear (helmets, goggles, medkit, etc.), and appropriate layers to keep yourself warm and dry. And there’s the additional gear:

• Avalanche safety gear: beacon, shovel, probe, and the know-how to use it!

• Traction: You probably won’t need this unless it’s extremely icy, in which case you might want ski crampons.

• Radios: Radios are becoming more and more common in the backcountry skiing world, as they dramatically improve communication and safety.

• GPS/Navigation: This route is pretty obvious, but having a GPS loaded with your route is always a good idea.

The Trip

The Approach

Begin at Lolo Pass Visitor Center and head east along the XC ski trails. After just under a half mile, you'll reach the loop trail. Turn right and head south. After 0.8 miles from the visitor center (and as the XC trail heads east), you'll probably see a skin track heading south along a fire road. Follow it until you reach the base of the west ridge off Fuji, then turn left and head straight up the ridge. This area has seen a lot of logging, so you'll want to ignore a lot of random fire roads. Continue up to the broad summit.

The Skiing

Ski the broad northwest slopes off the summit - roughly an 800' descent. You'll ski back over to your uptrack, making it an easy slope to lap!

Once you're finished skiing, head back to the XC ski trails and back to the visitor center!

Participate in your backcountry community!

Please consider submitting an observation to Missoula Avalanche after your trip, describing the travel conditions and snow stability you found! Submitting snow observations and writing trip reports on forums are great ways to contribute to the community and improve avalanche forecasts. It's also incredibly valuable to read the local observations and trip reports written by others, as they'll help keep you updated on what the mountains are doing on a day-to-day basis. This will help determine whether you have a fun time next time you get out!