Duffey Quadfecta

On Wednesday of last week, the team went out for an attempt of the fabled Quadfecta in the Duffey Lake environs, more specifically; climbing and skiing Mt's Joffre, Matier, Spetch and Slalok by their classic ski passageways.  The storm snow of the previous week had settled into a consolidated mass and the forecast was for a clear, cold day in the alpine. Calls, texts and 'whats-aps' where fired around in a froth of excitement and the decision was made,  at 3:30am we were to meet in the NW corner of the usual parking lot in Squamish and with a quick gear shuffle, were off,  5 jammed into one vehicle like cloves into a holiday ham. It is ALWAYS exciting to make a plan to head to this high alpine area.

Conditions were perfect for travel. The highway of Joffre Lakes trail served us well as we slogged up the initial approach, breaking up into upper Joffre lake after about 1.3 hours of effort. Sarah volunteered that she had done the math on the way up and broken the day into 13 separate sections, we had just completed the first one.

Travel up the Aussie Couloir was fast and trail-breaking easier then previous ascents with crampons creating more comfort near the top as the sun crust was hard and required care. The team assembled at the summit and looked around at our day to come, 3 more peaks to climb and 4 to ski, lets get going! 2 of the group skied while 3 chose to down-climb and ski due to the crust, although tedious and far from prime shape, the Aussie is key to the plan so we were all happy to arrive at the bottom to have a quick water making session on the glacier before moving on.

Matier and Spetch were next and no difficulties were encountered but we did find one thing: boot-top powder descents on the 40 degree faces, the best! I couldn't believe it! I think Matier's NW face is one of my favourite pitches of skiing I've done, this is the 4th time I've been up there and I just love it every time. Just classic in every way.

Finally, Slalok. New ground for all of us, we made the summit late in the afternoon and gathered together to look around. What a great group of good friends and what an incredible place. Ryan looked over at Joffre and said it felt like we were there the day before, a familiar feeling after a long day in the mountains. We ripped the skins and let the skis run down the humungous Stonecrop Face, this piece of terrain is really complex and to me is the crux of the day with multiple aspects and plenty of convexities with the added delight of cliffs below. Luckily, we had great snow and conditions and once again found powder to ski and finish up our last descent of the day.

Back at the car, Ryan had stashed some beers and as we stood around, tending to our feet and packing up, sipping our beers I couldn't help but think about how perfect this day was and to be with such great company in such a special place, all the better. I thought to myself, what step in Sarah's list would cracking a beer be?

Trip Data: 2883m of ascent / 21.9km / 12:40m
Chris Christie, Sarah Hart, Scotty Everett, Ryan Treneer, Ross Mailloux

Ascending the icefall above upper Joffre lake.

Chris crests the icefield and surveys the peaks ahead.

An established up-track lead right to the Aussie.

Upper reaches of the Aussie.

Scott making exacting turns on the hard surfaces.

Off to Matier.

Matier ascent.

Summit ridge, Mt. Matier

The always fun downclimb to the NW face of Matier.

Scott poking into the face, Aussie Couloir visible in front of him.

Heavy trail breaking up Spetch, ascent and descent via N aspect.

Turns visible on Matiers NW face.

Powder snow on Spetch, Ryan.

Chris

Final bootpack of the day (if you ever wanted to get your bootpacking dialed, this a great day for that)

Final ascent to Slalok summit area.

Squeeze the Day - Duffey.

I have a new line of thinking this year as we try and get out skiing during the 'atmospheric river events' and pineapple expresses here on the coast. That line of thinking is: Fit as much as possible into every day out. No matter how hard I stare at the weather models, gittery from espresso shots, I can't predict the outcome of these storms so I have just started to squeeze as much skiing as the body will allow into each outing because 'you neva know what ya gunna git"! (F Gump)...

Had a couple of great days recently with friends, leaving and returning to the house in the dark, smiling and stoked. If this is the mantra for 2015 so be it.

We headed to a familiar zone the other day and spent some time on the N, NE aspects lapping the alpine above 1700m. Nice 200-350 m shots in well settled snow.

Brad assembling.

Some nice windpress on the access ridge this day.

Scoping out the options of entry into the main zone.

Brad.

Todd. If anyone says split-boarders are slow in the transitions, they haven't ridden with Todd!

Brad pushing snow leftwards.

Mt. Taylor Traverse w/ Heartstrings finish

Had a great day on this classic trip with friends yesterday. It's in great shape, excellent travel throughout and the nice surprise of boot top preserved N facing powder on heartstrings.

Shudder Glacier and Mt. Duke

It has been some time since I posted, due to being firmly in recovery from a torn sartorius muscle. The results of an attempt at a delicate and yet somehow burly route at the climbing gym in Canmore. It sounded like a zipper when it tore and was quite audible throughout the gym, I thought myself lucky for only having a class 2 tear of this muscle that I had never even considered before..After hobbling around for a few weeks and religiously gardening, working, domestic blissing and physio'ing, I got the green light to go skiing. "Go for an hour or so and see how it feels' was the parting advice from my PT on Tuesday. I could hardly sleep.

 Shudder Glacier to Wedge Creek

 On Wednesday morning, Scotty and Ryan were kind enough to accompany 'the gimp' (me) on a little ski mission in the Spearheads, with no real set intentions we made quick time past Decker, Trorey and Tremor, arriving at a small unnamed summit with the rolling Shudder glacier below. It looked good all the way to the valley and the overnight freeze was great, making lower elevation travel just fine. We looked at each other, knowing that dropping to the bottom meant a 5 hour return trip to Blackcomb and the end to the proposed 'little day'...

The 'spine' bringing you over to Trorey.

Classic Spearhead bootpack, beyond this lies the niftiest parts of the range!

Nearing the small unnamed peak above Shudder Glacier, seen below.

Ryan and Scott.

We pulled the climbing skins and 'let the skis run', with the coverage lacking this year we brought harnesses and a small rope and used it for a few hundred meters as we poked around through an icefall. The snow surface was uniform and that made for consistency in the skiing, albeit a bit 'wind pressed' in sections but good.. It was great to finally ski the described longest run in the Spearheads, be in the company of good friends and feel the remoteness this area exudes.

After reaching lower wedge creek, you turn left for about 7or maybe 8 km, staying around the 1400-1700m level until you reach Phalanx peak and a nifty little bench that is one of the only things I have seen that is a good argument for divine creation. Later, around 8pm we skied perfect corn groomers by headlamp to a car beer and great mexican at Mexican Corner in Whistler


After a day of rest Ryan and I joined our friends Linda and John for a classic ascent of Vantage Peak, a jester in a court of kings, surrounded by the high country that is Joffre, Matier and Howard. Quite the ambiance for such an accessible peak. We enjoyed a very mellow pace this day, talking the whole way up and just enjoying good company in the 'pine'.

Linda, John and Ryan approach the summit of Vantage.

Great skiing down Vantages NE flanks.

All is well that ends well!

Mt. Duke

On our Vantage day it was hard not to look over and see this great ski descent on Mt. Duke, connected by a short ridge to Vantage although accessed from a different valley, that of Van Horlick. I do love aesthetic ski peaks, that in which you climb up, hopefully mostly on skis, gain a summit then get to ski a different aspect, creating a bit of a 'circuit', Mt. Duke is just that!

Great terrain all the way to Duke/Vantage col. There was about 7km of logging road to reach this spot..not super photogenic.

On the shoulder of Duke. Was nice to have the ski crampons.

Some 'non skis on' climbing, sometimes you can apparently ski right to the top of Duke, not so for us. We had fun negotiating the little steps.

Some great lines on Mt. Howard.

After reaching the summit, you get a view of the Mt. Duke descent, 550m to the lake at the bottom, sheltered and N facing.

Todd drops in for first tracks, we found lightly windpressed powder over a hard crust.

Ryan spraying the snow to the right, later he sprayed it left.

Mt. Duke from the Duffey lake road. Go do it!

What a great few days with friends and words fall short in describing the joy in being back on skis during these long and beauty spring days.

Cheers!
Ross

the blue river treatment

N Blue River Lodge and Yurt.

Just back from an amazing week with friends in the snowy world of North Blue River Lodge. Just pure good times skiing powder, enjoying great meals and the company of friends both new and old in the quiet mountains. We were able to get up high on day one, skiing some nice alpine terrain during the drought conditions at the time, linking up to a nice ridge, down a N facing couloir which connected to the valley bottom, 1200m later. A couple of us snuck out for a pre-dinner snack afterwords in the form of an excellent boot top run in the steep trees, back just in time for the apres and appetizer course. The next few days blur together between great skiing, lots of laughs and close to a meter of storm snow. Just great.

John prepares for another day of skiing.

Ryan enjoying some nice snow.

Linda having a good time on her Wailer 99's!

Chris grew a beard one day.

The odd cedar is dotted amongst spruce, fir and other friendly giants.

Graham Underhill enjoying another day of powder skiing.

Graham.

Ryan having just a great time and sporting a super attitude as usual.

Vicki, a new ski friend.

Ry - guy

Linda

Todd entering the white room for a conference call.

The trail breaking was deep at times.

Ryan got a collect call from Ullr here, he accepted the charges.

Vicki

John surveying yet another great gladed run.

Ry.

It just kept snowing and snowing and...snowing. Magic stillness and winter joy.

Todd embracing the mystery.

Every day there was at least a three course dinner, skier prepared and skier enjoyed!

Steve

Hut life is the best life!

Graham and Dimitri

Mark had a problem and couldn't get up.

Todd.

Thanks to North Blue River Lodge and especially the people, who always make these trips so memorable: Steve, Linda, Vicki, John, Ryan, Chris, Ellie, Todd, Dimitri, Richard, Graham and Mark.