Deep December Days - Duffey Lake.

Made a quick edit of a few video clips from a recent Duffey Lake trip with friends, skiing powder in the heart of winter. I hope you enjoy!

Duffey Lake Pow!

All the best! -R

Duffey/Duffey/Whistler.

In Squamish there is polarization in the winter. In Dec I'll sometimes wake up, make a coffee and head out the door, dog in tow, for a cruise around the local tributary. Wearing a light sweater, loamy forest beneath waterproof shoes, the coffee is still warm in its ceramic cup when I get home. Drive 30 min North from Squamish and things change, big mountains start to appear and the snow line, ever lowering has occasionally dotted the roadside in white humps that look like they belong there. A bit further yet and Whistler is reached, further still and you will come rubber neckingly into the Duffey Lake area. Glaciation is at work here and so are huge amounts of snow fall. Ski tourers flock to an area with so much terrain accessible from the road, like a coastal version of Rogers Pass - except,well...bigger!

I had a chance to join a veteran group of locals in that great zone skiing powder, looking for views and enjoying the wonderful winter mountains. Thanks to Linda, Ellie, John, Ryan, Francis and Chris for letting me join in and for the great company.

Linda and John.

Uptrack through sub-alpine on the Vantage Ridge Spur.

Chris, with snow beard of happiness.

Chris.

Duffey Lake.

Lunch. This group makes the best alpine sandwiches I've ever seen.

Marriott Basin.

Chris.

Ryan entering the white room.

Alpine glory.

Also had a nice day with friends in the Spearhead range lately. We toured up from the top of the Glacier Chair on Blackcomb, up and over to Spearhead Peak, down the Spearhead Glacier and up and down the "Stairmaster" couloir. We then popped up into Corona bowl and as fast as we could, got to the Dublin Gate for some tasty apres ski malty beverages. Nice to get out despite the low visibility.

Feeling our way down the Spearhead glacier trying not to fall into the Shrund.

Ross Berg, International man of mystery and the most likeable guy on Instagram.

Great buttery turns down the Stairmaster.

Thanks to Ross, Cori and Scotty for a great day.

Little Diamondhead

A great time with friends new and old was had yesterday in the Diamondhead zone logging about 1540m over 18km. A great second day of the season and a very good way to stoke the engine for future missions.

One of my favorite views of my home, Squamish. from the approach.

After 7 laps we didn't leave much left for the next group ;-)

Coastal Things.

Well its been a few months since Erin and I loaded up everything we own into a 25' U Haul and headed west.

Arriving in Squamish, BC not a day later - our new home.

We were treated by an amazing fall weather pattern, we were able to climb, bike and really settle in with this excellent coastal welcoming.

Squamish sees hundreds of mm of rain a winter, sometimes it will rain for 60 days in a row. When the rains come its time for projects. Like a table for Linus as his old man neck is getting sore, now its easier for him to eat and drink off of this little table. Did I mention we have a garage ! ;-)

This ravioli session was spectacular.

The family came from Edmonton and we all piled into a rented house on the Sunshine Coast, was a really great time.

Of course the climbing is spectacular in Squmish, long free routes, short pitches and amazing bouldering is our mainstay and one of the reasons we chose Squamish over anywhere else in BC - The quality is superb.

Just became a card carrying member of the local bouldering co-op. This honest little gym is great, where people come to train. Very little space for sitting and not a place for birthday parties or after school care offerings - just good ol training.


Squamish is treating us very well!

Skiing brain already?

Without fail, as soon as the first 'cold' night/day/hour/second arrives in the Autumn, friends and winter lovers start to talk..well, murmer about the upcoming ski season. Being only Sept, this thought pattern has an air of craziness about it and seeing that the summer season is still long in the tooth and the promise of many sunny good days with chalk covered hands or on a bike are ahead of us, the donning of the 'ski brain' is doubly considered odd by some.

A few years ago I would be looking for skiing in Sept or Oct, tracking strong SW flows through the US, keeping an eye on temperatures at different elevations and guesstimating snow falls in the high country while rain falls in the valleys. A few good days were had with rock skis and an open mind on glaciers and high meadows.

Lately though, as a love for late season skiing (April on) has grown - I can sit comfortably sipping a glass of scotch or a favorite micro brew, knowing that if I can wait till at lease mid November, the gas will be there for the 10th 3 am start in a row come May to tap into the amazing bounty while most have switched to summer mode.

For now, storm skiing is on the mind. With the recent move to the coast, I am excited about the potential of new zones and new ski partners. This should be a good season and I am waiting a couple more months before dragging the planks out.

Iphone photos and friends.

In the race to move to the coast, I have been focusing on getting out with good friends in the mountains. Nothing nutty, just hanging with buddies and taking lots of Iphone photos.

 The ritual of signing the Yamnuska register and seeing what your friends have been doing pre-facebook.

On the approach to Yam with Rob, we climbed the route 'Another Fat Bastard', a mixed bolted gear route going at 5.10c. Another controversial route of this style squeezed in between classic traditional lines on the bastion of the ethic. Still a great day out with a good friend.

The first pitch of AFB

Rob getting ready to go in the off width section.

Jason and I ventured up 'the fold' in K country - The line takes the obvious rib in the center of the photo here. An amazing position for sure, luckily we had our Iphones to capture the moment.

On the last pitch.

Summit!

Trunk beers.

Evolution Traverse

 Since I was little I imagined climbing on ridge lines, I daydreamed about what it would be like on that juxtaposition in the sky, between land and space - It was just so 'there' and unavoidable. Some of my favorite climbing since then has taken place in the theater of ridges and I have grown very found of this style of climbing. It takes a long long time for a ridge climb to end, measured in miles and kilometers instead of feet or meters, so perfect in many ways.

 It was 1997 I believe when I first starting reading about Peter Crofts exploits in the Sierra's of California. I don't recall the specifics of that particular piece but '70 pitch ridges', 'flawless mountain granite' and 'almost too-good weather' rang home. Something about it resonated in me and a few years later I started seeking out the great ridge climbs of the Rockies and Selkirks. Travelling lightly and forever, I felt like Peter Pan, flying for the first time - the possibilities for adventure expanded. Always in the back of my mind loomed the ginormity of the 'grand course' ridge, the king; The Evolution Traverse in the Sierra backcountry.

 Julian and I were going through the options for a post Outdoor Retailer trip and with a bit of hesitation I suggested it. I knew we could give it a solid try and with a bit of luck, maybe pull the damn thing off in a day. Time to pull out the pickle...

 Sierra alpine start = Magic.

 Early on, lower Mendel.

 With Huxley on the far right, the end of the traverse and 7 miles away.

 Lots of easy 5th class.

 We are on the Evolution!

 Moving quickly through the great knobs.

 Between Mendel and Darwin. Awesome.

 Darwin summit block.

After reaching about the halfway mark, we looked at each other and knew we needed to go down but neither of us wanted to say anything. It was getting late in the day, there was literally miles of 5th class ahead and we were slowing down. The rope was coming out more and more, our bodies racked from the week of OR, the logistics of the trip and being at altitude; everything was taking its toll.  We started rapping and reached the talus just as the first fat drops started falling, 2 hours of intense thunderstorms surprised us but somehow made us feel better. We arrived back at the wet tent, made some curry and passed out.

Amazing.

We will be back...

Many thanks to Julian for his energy, enthusiasm and good nature!