A mission to nowhere

Well somewhere, but somewhere really far away that was almost near a summit but not really. Ian,Aaron Chris, Mark and myself decided to try and summit Mt-Hassler in a day. Hassler is the second highest peak in the Selkirks and is an awesome mountain.

We left the parking lot at 6 am and toured up onto the illecilleweat and over to the Geiki glacier. From here we shredded down the heavily crevassed glacier and down into the  valley.

I had thought it would take us around 4 hrs up to this point but it took around 6 hrs. I guess using the equation that you add 8 minutes extra per hour per person than I was right. 4 hrs + 4 extra people times 8 minutes times 4 hours = 6hrs

From there we toured up the Dawson valley and onto the Dawson glacier. Going up the lookers left we toured onto a morraine that curled up into the alpine. Keeping us safe from hazards yet right in the heart of it all. Touring up we worked our way up Mt-Fox and onto the twisted rock by 3 pm. By now we had traveled 19 kms and 9600 feet of gain. Sitting on the Twisted rock we tried to summon the energy to go for the summit which would have been 2 hrs to the top and an hour back to where we were. Having only seen the summit twice during the day we looked for an excuse to turn around. The weather did not look promising so we turned and started heading home, which was very far away.

From the valley we followed our down tracks back up the Geiki and to the top of forever young. On the way up we watched as the sun warmed up a cornice and let it drop which triggered a fair size slide.  It came nowhere near us or our skin track but it still warned us to make the appropriate terrain decisions. By 7.45 pm we were on the top of Forever Young and on our way home. The chute was in perfect condition, 30 cms of nice powder lay blanketed the whole way down it. I snuck in for first tracks and had the best ski down Forever Young that I have ever had. And then we skied out the Asulkan. Back at the cars by 8.45. 14.5 hrs and 13 700 feet of gain.

Its amazing that I have such strong friends, although we were all tired we had just  toured 40+ kms and 13 700 feet. That’s the largest day I have ever done with four other people. So although we never made it to Hassler I learned a lot about what it will take to ski this mountain in a day, and I also learned more about Rogers Pass and some more hidden gems.  

The evolution is happening

 When I first walked in the F1’s I knew that the bellows was revolutionary. It was amazing how much more natural a gait I had. Skinning was easier, less robot like and more human. But the boot was never enough for my bigger skis it wasn’t powerful enough to really charge downhill.

 Today I tried out the F3’s and  can feel the evolution happening.This boot has the bellows, the easy walking but it also has more of a downhill side to it. I was skiing my smaller skis but I had great control, I could shred. I can’t wait to try out my bigger skis. These boots make ski touring easier, light and easy for walking and so far great for the downhill.

 A late start had me touring up Mt-Mackenzie at 1.50 during a downpour. It seemed like a day where I I might have to suffer  while I worked towards my goal.But after an hour of rain it cleared and I could see the Monashee summits. 15 cms of snow had fallen in the alpine and was a little heavy but still fresh tracks. I began lapping the upper 2000 feet and had a great afternoon. I was loving the F3’s and skied 5 different runs, ending skiing down Anticipation while the sun set.  The photographer in me  was really liking the light on my final run and was wishing for some mountain models to take photos of.

 11000 feet 6 hrs.

Castor/Swanzy/Clarke/Bonney

I have dreamed of this link up for a few years. The first time I soloed up Swanzy and then climbed Castor on the way home I had thoughts about today’s adventures. The four summits are all lined up for ascents in succession, each summit getting progressively higher ending on the summit of Mt-Bonney, at just about 10 200 feet.

I started off at 7.30 heading up the Asulkan valley. I had  ideas about where today was going but you can never tell. Knowing I had some distance to travel I skinned quickly up to the mousetrap, and had a quick snack. From there I followed a skin track up towards the Rampart and onto Sapphire glacier. I then skinned over and boot packed up Castor peak. I managed to summit in 3 hrs and 35 minutes from my car.
From there I skied down the ridge and over towards Swanzy. The ridge ski off Castor is exciting since you cannot really ski too close to the cornice. You have to maintain control and eek your way down the ridge. There were a few decent turns but mostly sun crusted snow.

I then started skinning up Mount Swanzy. The other two times I have been up this slope I have boot packed directly up the right hand side. Today I had ski crampons and some soft snow so I skinned right up the meat of it. I would have loved to see my skin track from a distance, very aggressive and direct.
 After Swanzy I skied down a thousand feet and toured up Clarke Peak. This is a sub peak of Mt-Bonney that I have never been up. Its east ridge beaconed me to skin up it and shred down it. I happened to hit the slope at its warmest point and I enjoyed some great corn turns off it’s summit at 1.15.

From there I wrapped around Mt-Bonney and skinned up its western glacier directly to the summit. The four summit link up was completed by 3.00pm. well almost there was still a 7000 foot descent. I skied west off the summit towards Mt-Smart and curled into a great run off a high col and into smart creek. 

A fantastic tour, one I will do again with friends.  Skiing out of Smart creek I ran into the Illecilliweat river and had to cross it. There was no was to stay dry so I jumped in and with water up to my knees I quickly crossed. A wet ending to  a great solo day.  4 summits -28 km -10 700 feet.