Mt-Davis

I had a look at a wicked couloir off Mt-Davis, when we were on Mt-Begbie two days ago. So yesterday Joey and I went up Mt-Davis to look into the couloir. This chute seems wild from all angles, probable 2000ft of chute plus a 1000 foot fan, it calls out to be skied. At least from a distance, looking down it was wild and very warm by the time we got there, it was not calling our names. The sketchy chute will wait for another day.  Not included in the photo to keep it slightly secret>>!

But Mt-Davis is such an easy hit from revelstoke. Drive 20 minutes west, up a logging road till you hit snow, then sled to the base of the climb. up 4700 feet and voila the summit. Super cool terrain all around, I must come back here and play around next year. I have not been up here for at least 7 years, cool to be back.

Top Ten

Days like today are inconceivable until they happen, and then they just make sense. Aaron and I headed up Mt-Rogers this morning. We had thoughts of various lines but nothing really concrete. On the summit by 11 we had tonnes of time, enough time to really scope out the North glacier line. Considering the stability we have seen lately this was the time to finally ski this line.  Aaron used the photographers excuse and had me go first, which was great, Carvable firm snow held fast to the 45* slope, sloughing fast but very controllable. Several burgshrunds/crevasses had to be managed, which added to the excitement of the line.

This line looks so amazing in the Selkirk North guide book that I cannot believe it took us so long to finally carve our way down it. I cannot wait to  draw this line on my maps. One of our top ten runs ever. From this great sitting spot we quickly boot packed back up to get away from any serac danger.

First day with my new jetboil system. Super cool, we melted 5 litres of water and only carried the weight of 750ml. Quick and easy set up, melt while you eat and rest and then voila more water.  From this break spot we headed up the North ridge on Swiss and billy goated our way to the summit.  Amazing to climb and ski off both these 10 000 footers on the same day.  I have been up this south chute twice, great to ski down it, although not ideal powder conditions, south facing shlop (3pm), but it can’t always be amazing.

So many people think that skiing is done, well maybe its not powder but you can ski dream lines.

I have finally landed on the Eagle

This mountain has been staring at me for a long time, proud and prominent it has such a  striking south face that one cannot help but dream of skiing it.  I have always imagined skiing it under melt freeze conditions, but there have been a few parties over the last few years that have skied it in powder.  Quite a line.

The couloir is called the Stutfield couloir after the first ascentionist who climbed it in 1898, the peak is 9338 feet or 2846 m tall.

I finally decided that today was the day for the Eagle, almost 7 days of sun so the melt freeze cycle is well under way. We left the parking lot at 5.30 am and headed up, by 8 we had ski crampons on and we were cutting our way up steep frozen terrain. 9 am and  the boot pack was under way, up and onto the south face, perfect frozen crust made for great footsteps. 10:30 am and we were on the summit. Waiting for the face to warm up a bit more we enjoyed some relaxation and then headed down around 11:15. The pitch had warmed up perfectly and we carved some great corn turns down the face. Super fun. and no worries about avalanches unless we had waited up there for too long.

Great day.