Visibility Unlimited- A snorkel-less Rogers Pass Viewpoint

People are asking us if we are sick of driving to Rogers Pass each week to go ski touring. The truth is that the more you go to Rogers pass, the shorter the drive seems and with a Coffee from Jitas cafe you are soon taking that final right turn from the long ascent from Golden where the peaks strike upwards into the early morning sky and the promise of something outstanding to do wiht skis is in the air. I am always stoked to get back....





On thursday and friday last week I joined up with Jeff MacPherson and Michelle for a great trip up the Tupper traverse and over to Lookout mountain the next day, high on the Illicilewat glacier. We really did have a great time in the warm t-shirt temperatures on Thursday as well as the beauty views both days as we could look out in all directions visibilty un hindered and excitement boiling up for the descent back down to valley bottom and of course, Timmy Hortens....

Rogers Pass Jackpot

What do you do when you arrive at Rogers Pass only to find that the roads going east and west will be closed till 4pm? Well, you've hit the Rogers Pass Jackpot and its time to ski! Thats right! Nick, Jason, Tys and I were overjoyed to discover that it was time to cash in on our jackpot and enjoy some good tidings. We started on the Hourglass, made our way over to teddy bear trees and finally the best for last, mind blowing powder runs down Grizzly shoulder to our cars and Jays Ice cold brews in the trunk. I really must thank the boys for such a great day out in the mountians as usual and Tys who is always up for a long day trip with only a Timmy Ho's to go and some Philosophy Podcasts.



Here we can see Nick trying to figure out where his snorkel went.



Here we can see a snow yeti. Copyright Nicholas Rapaich.

Musings a la MA

Some things/thoughts from the last few days in a MA style...

-Marinade can take many forms. Dont stress, meat can sit in anything and taste great.

-Health is a blessing, dont take it for granted.

-When there is one day to ski-It might be time to go west, even if it takes 11 hours in the car.

-House plants need to be moved around sometimes, they get tired of neighbors, just like humanoids.

-I dont need the new pack or jacket, old friends are like wine.

Ski Drama

Ive been going through the ski paces this year thats for sure. I ordered some beauty BD Stigma 183cm's in October and mounted them up only to discover that they are stiffer than a 4 ounce sambuca shot at 3am. I was whipped around like a towel and givin my ski technique of barley follwing my friends down the slopes I was in need of new sticks. Enter the Rossignol B3 176. Medium Stiff, Medium Fat and all round-Perfect. Had 6 good days on those babys until last week, skiing in Utah during outdoor retailer when I heard the sound of crunching corn flakes. My ski had delaminated from tip to tail and were rendered useless. Luckilly my friend John at the movement ski booth loaned my some nice thunder 177's to finish the day and my legs as we skiied the 22 inches (yes inches) from the day before. My new pair is an updated B3 for '08 and they are being mounted as we speek. Cant wait to ski em!

Asulkan Heli Days

Just arrived home last night from two great days of skiing in Rogers Pass. With M-A, Jeff and J Billing we loaded up the car, stuffed everything inside and pointed west towards deep powder and better snow stability. We followed the well used track up to the Asulkan hut which is recomended for every timber framers apprentice. After some tea and Landjaegers it was time to follow the glaciers and shadows to Asulkan pass where we found calm skys and enormous views. It was time to go down-we followed each other in pairs and laughed all the way to the hut, reveling in the perfect fast skiing and views. After skiing most off the way down to valley bottom and bouncing off pillows in the rolling trees, we made our way back to the hut and enjoyed a good meal and flowing scotch. The next day we got to do it all over again and as we skiined our way to the alpine near Saphirre col, we could take it all in- Great views, great skiing and good time with good friends. Another good weekend in Rogers Pass.

3 Dog Days

Hey All,

Just arrived home from three great days of ski touring
with Jeff MacPherson, Marc-Andre Cousineau and Chris
Haywood.


Day 1 we fired a 1000m up-track towards the col above
Emerald Lake slidepath, noses out and ears perked,
waiting for signs of instability. The conditions and
snow were oddly silent and after digging around we
found a pretty decent pack with about 180cm at around
2160m, no major reactive layers either...hmmm. We
ripped the skins off and let the skis run. Cranking
the first turn the snow hit the knees, the second and
third turns blew our minds as perfect rocky mountain
powder eventually hit our waists and caused enormous
smiles to span our shiny faces. Steak and scotch
awaited us at the Hostel, as well as enormous talk for
the upcoming days.

Day 2 we ventured to the "snow zone", a line of peaks
just east of the south wapta that seems to trap absurd
amounts of snow. Last year for instance, we found 2+m
of snow there in December, perfect untracked dream
runs and bowls noboday seems to go to. Deep and
perfect snow awaited as we went back up tp the sunny
summit of one of the peaks as many times as we could,
trying to soak it all in and revel at some of the
deepest and best snow we had seen-anywhere. With the
fading light, we shot back to the trees and made our
way to the highway and to the huge meal and sauna we
knew was waiting.

Day 3 we awoke tired and content from skiing dark to
dark days in a row and a relaxing pace was in order.
We skied up the frozen creek and canyons leading to a
valley south of Observation peak in the bow summit
area. A weak snowpack and highwinds kept us from
venturing too high but allowed us a few nice runs in
the trees as well as another great day in the
mountains with good company. We could smell the dark
roast coffee and pastries at Laggans so we did the
luge run out to the road and answered the call in
short order, reflective and happy.

A stellar few days!

Auto De Feu

Ghost River Wilderness: A Place To Behold

The name is long, but so is the list of positive words you can use to describe climbing in the Ghost River Wilderness. Driving through rolling hills and prairies splashed with the fire of a rising sun, watching the mist hover over the creeks and rivers as you blast down the gravel roads, coffee in hand. You cant really leave the Ghost the way you came in. No, part of you is still there climbing the frozen gulleys and falls, calling you for your next days off where you get to do it all again.

Just Another Hot Lap

With alpine fever, Mike Treetops and I blasted down the Icefields Parkway after work yesterday and had a stellar bivi under a full moon, calm skies and still air in front of the Athabasca Glacier. 2am rolled around and the skies opened up blowing things around in a very unfriendly manner, mostly snow into our eyes. Needless to say, when we awoke at 5am to try our route across the road the wind had zapped our reserves and we were left with the question, what now? Thankfully we had french press coffee and we drove north to Beauty Creek and the ice climb, "Shades of Beauty". After a snowy and scrappy first pitch, I brought Mikey up to where he promptly fired the steep and thin 2nd pitch, bottoming out 10cm screws here and there. The ice however was great and very climbable and we were stoked. The last pitch was probably the most fun as stemming between rock on the left and ice on the right is probably the most exciting thing you can do in this world. We topped out and high fived before getting the ropes stuck on the descent. Constant laughs and a really great ice situaton = awsomeness!

Chic Scotts Absence

With the arrival of autumn comes a most enjoyable time of year, quiet. Even though the weekends are still super busy, my walk into work down the calm pathways and silent streets are a reminder of the approaching winter and months of quiet in town. It is with winter in mind that I searched high and low for my copy of Chic Scott's venerable ski touring guidebook for the area but with no avail. My copy was lost. No problem, right? Wrong! The publisher has cancelled printing on this classic in favour of other titles. "marshes and wild-grasses of lower Saskatewan" perhaps?. Who is to say, not this guidebook-less fellow. Needless to say I was in turmoil as my nightly activity past Oct1 is pouring a few fingers of 10yr and flipping through guidebooks, glory at my fingertips and joy in my brain.

Our friends Jay and Jen invited me over for a movie last week while Michelle was in school. "Is anyone missing Ski tours" rang through the room and into my ears. It seems Jay has been collecting the books and now they are worth more then solid gold bouillon so its not a bad collection if you ask me. " I seem to have mis-placed mine".....Well, Jay gave me the book and everything is right in the world.

Half Horse Half Bird

Yesterday, Jay Billing and I had the great pleasure to toy with the idea of ice climbing in October. The route Centaur rises about 300m off the goat glacier in Kananaskis and presents a mixed alpine endeavour. At 7 am we parked the car at the closed spray lakes campground and made our way up the old road through the still forest and soon after, the steep scree and rocks leading to the lateral moraines of the Goat glacier itself. As we dropped down onto the manzanita of ice, boulders and steep moraines the snow became deeper and deeper eventualy reaching about knee height.

We kicked steps to a nice ledge below the route and racked up for the pitch above, a lower angled corner to a roof and traverse right to more easier ground. The ice above that looked a bit thin and we had a chat after Jay tried the corner, maybe this was a bit too thin and a bit too early. The route was probably in climbing shape and perhaps do-able by guys like us but why push it for the first route of the year, right?

We busted down the moraines and scree and enjoyed the morning in solitude. Later on, while sitting at the Drake and enjoying a Guiness it was indeed a great day.

Sawtooth

Fall on Yam

So the Floose and I shot up to Yam to do a nice classic moderate route before the snow started to fly. Well, the snow flew anyway and we had a great time on the route "western union".

California Dreaming

Part of me thinks that when judgement comes, if there is such a thing, you will be standing there at the pearly gates as some great one is flipping through shots and moments of your life. Its conclusion as to if you lived your life with "flavor" being your entry pass into the place with all the clouds and flowing cappuccino. If any of that has a bit of truth to it, then the last two weeks on the coast and in the mountains of the western USA with Michelle Walker added to the bank of images.








Day Needle, Keeler Needle and Mt.Whitney. A granite climbers dream.








We climbed sun drenched granite in Idaho, drove "tank to tank" through the deserts of Nevada. Held the tent down from blowing away at Mt.Whitney, California and bouldered in the cool morning hours in Bishop before the days heat. Tuolomne meadows granite and seafood in Sanfrancisco. A really good trip!