Ursus Minor NE-NW

Finally after having to recreate the whole movie on Frank’s computer I have it done.

Mt-Begbie

 Every year I try to climb and ski Mt-Begbie, the Revelstoke classic. This peak adorns many businesses, our newspaper, it is the famous mountain around town. So naturally it is always great to summit and ski it. Its a 7000 foot run and the moment you step out of your car you can see the summit, straight up 7000 feet.

There is a large slope climb to the upper left col (red line), which is always very intimidating. I have often had sled tracks that go up to the col and allow for some great boot packing; so I hoped that we would also have that today. Well we arrived at the upper benches in time to watch a sledder high mark up to the col. It was great to watch him pin it up the slope and arch his way back down.

I have always imagined that a 500lb machine must really dig into the snow layers and be a large impact on the slope. But when we were boot packing up his track he was only digging in 25 cms, meanwhile we were boot packing up to 50-60 cm deep. Penetrating far deeper into the snow pack. So I wonder which would be more likely to hit the weak spot?

 Well my computer is fucking around and I cannot export my movies again…. this macbook seems to have issues… I am going to borrow my friends computer tonight and get both movies out. There is some great footage on my latest and some more great footage from yesterday.

Ursus Minor NE

What a day! We went up to the pass with plans to ski the Herdman Couloir on Mt-Macdonald. But the area was closed for avalanche control so we went for option B.   B for badass.  Little did we know that option B was a wilder day than Option A was going to be.

I have thought of this tour for awhile and when we had no plan A  I figured we might as well test out this tour. Up Ursus Minor with the a little different track than last time. On the summit somewhere around noon. From there we skied NE of the summit. Down the ridge and then into the chute. The schralp hawk snow boarded into the chute and down into the north face.  What a line………

I have only known about this line since last year, when I toured around Sifton mountain and spotted this beauty.  I haven’t forgotten about it since…. This is my third summit of Ursus Minor and my third different descent off the summit this winter. What a great summit, such a  variety of aspects. We had great skiing down the face and then toured around  and up the north glacier on Little Sifton.

Such a cool place that I have never visited. The tour up the north side was a little aggressive but the light and fluffy north facing powder made it a little easier. And then the descent into Grizzly bowl was great. Two couloirs for the four of us and then fun turns down to the valley bottom.

What a wild day. Quite possibly a first descent. Since there is no history of stuff skied around here and I have never heard of anyone even mention the possibility of skiing this line, I am verging on first descent. Most definitely our first time down it.