observation peak u - turn

Sunday was spent in the great company of good friends Zach and Guillermo in the alpine environs of Cirque Peak, chasing shadows, dodging storms and taking it all in step by step. Sunday was day twenty for me on the skis, I am hoping to beat my 50 some day personal best this year and aiming for 60 days of touring in these wonderful mountains of ours. If I am this stoked by mid-season it should not be a problem ;-).


On the up and up above Helen Lake.
One must remove skis and walk through the faceted steps to the summit ridge and soon after, the summit. It is amazing the lengths skiers will go to to avoid removing the ski and strapping on back, I am guilty of this and after a few rugged maneuvers, it was time to get smart and strap 'em on.

We turned around a few hundred meters from the summit it may have been because of night before: G made the trip from Red Deer, arriving for dinner, a bottle of wine and enormous talk at the Flatbread Company . This theme continued at home with a half bottle of Johny Blacks until Erin arrived home and reminded us it was very late and we should likely get to bed. 6 am came a little abruptly and with a staggering headache accompanied by friend, nausea. We rallied on but we didn't have the Jam for our assumed plan of rappelling the N side of Observation peak and continuing the walk-fest. I guess we needed a good night of drinking over a big day of skiing, sometimes these things have a way of working out naturally..
Thanks Zach for the picture, this is one of few on this blog of mine to show my readers (Hi Mom) what I look like.
Mystery surrounds..

Thanks to Zach and G, days like this remind you that the journey is nothing without brothers to accompany you.