Couloir Season is here ski friends!

Well I must say that after that one week we had of perfect weather where the whole town was out en masse to run, bike and rock climb in very little clothing it is a bit harder than normal to keep ones mind in the winter physche. BUT this is the time of year where more often that not the great lines of the Rockies come into shape and righteous things can happen with skis on foot. People have been out as of late, putting tracks in couloirs and alpine faces, boot-packing and bringing it back to the ice age. Here is a toast to couloir season, wax em up because the gettin' is good!

Mt. Collie

A great time was had by Zach and I up on the Wapta these last two days as we climbed and skied a classic ski peak, Mt. Collie. I have never really given this zone of the super-popular icefield much thought but as I thumbed through my worn copy of Summits and Icefields, there it was looking like a really great thing to do.

Passing through the usual canyon on the approach to Bow Hut one usually keeps their boards attached to feet but as spring approaches its time to get nasty.
Our camp with Collie behind. Norman Collie was a British academic who on a few occasions, set the local standard by climbing the remote (at that time) giants of the Canadian Rockies. I've always thought to myself that his first ascent of the N Ridge of Athabasca and the impending "first sight" of the huge Columbia Icefields to be one of the great moments of Canadian climbing history.
Looking down on camp during an evening ski of the lower slopes of Collie.
Summit Ridge.
Great descent. There was a rock hard slab with about 15 cm of lightly pressed powder laying on top which gave you the similar feeling to halloween as a child, without the sugar hangover.

All in all, Collie is one of my favourite places I have been on the Wapta. Great to be out with a good friend in these wonderful mountains.

Mt Cayoosh and Vantage Peak- Coast Mtn Skiing

So as a lot of you know I am a die-hard Rockies skier. When friends rave about the "Wet Coast" or the "Smellkirks" I casually glance towards the ground and mention something about the weather or tell a story of a great latte I once had in Salt Lake. Well, its not all entirely true but when the conditions are good in the Rockies its hard to beat, at least for me. The trouble is that the conditions are rarely "good"! (Insert Rockies slag here)

It is also a well known fact that skiers live on the Coast and climbers live in the Rockies...for the most part. Of course sooner or later it was going to be time to check it out and as I was down in Vancouver for a couple of weeks working it was a perfect time to call up some friends and head up high. The weekend in question dawned clear and the conditions were quite good, basically a typical year out in the coast! (Insert rockies slag again).

Cori and I blasted over to Pemberton after I finished a marathon day of Patagonia clinics in Vancouver and as we pulled into the cheap motel, flicked on the HBO I knew I was home and that a couple of days of skiing lay ahead. In the morning we packed up and drove up the Duffey Lake Road which is the classic HUB of skiing in the area. Wonderful alpine basins, deep snow, steep glaciation and a truly endless capacity for skiing. In other words...perfect.

Cayoosh Mtn- Standard Route (Armchair Glacier)

Cayoosh is a classic in the area and after looking at this photo for a few minutes we had made up our minds to check it out. Storm snow in the area had hidden all previous ascents and it was a joy to fire in an up track taking us high into the sunshine.

Cori coming up into the alpine.After a near summit, almost 1500m of fall-line descent to valley bottom and the awaiting beers.
Vantage Peak- Standard Route
Julian looking pensive over the landscape of Matier and Joffre. We toured up a nice creek to a basin which unfolded into cols and ridges gaining the summit of Vantage peak. A classic.
Descending Vantage after a great day in the very warm temperatures. A big thanks to Michael, Jullian and Cory for a great day out.

Well what can I say, it was a great experience and one I would like to repeat. The Coast is what its cracked up to be for a lot of reasons. Skiers aren't holding on to that season 5-6 years ago that was so good and praying for another. Nope! Almost every season on the coast is good and people bag big things regularly. I might not be moving out there anytime soon but the seed is planted! I feel lucky to have these two great days as a primer for this area.