The only couloir on the impressive East face of Mills was split at the bottom. The right side was blocked at the very bottom by a large chockstone and the left side had an appealing snowfield leading upward that might hopefully cover loose rock. Secor mentions a variation going right from a chockstone blocking a couloir that supposedly avoids loose rock. Since we could not see an alcove below the right chockstone, we figured there might be another chockstone up higher and started up the left chute.
By the time we reached the top of the snow, both were long gone and we had to evaluate the options. Ahead was a chockstone blocking about 2/3 of a very loose chute. To the right was something that could be construed to be an alcove that climbed a short face onto a rib. The face looked hard, so I went on to explore the chute above the chockstone. Getting around the chockstone was unnerving because everything was loose and I worried that rolling a small boulder which supported the chockstone could send the several ton stone down crushing me. Above the chockstone the chute was walled off on all sides.