Mt-Macdonald

 When I went out touring yesterday I began dreaming about today’s adventure. I felt like the stars were in alignment and I should try and summit Mt-Macdonald. Realising the size of the task I enlisted Doug Sproule and Ian Bissonnette.

 At 8 20 we left the NRC parking and charged our way up NRC gully. The whole feature had run in the avalanche cycle that happened on monday so we felt confident stomping our way right up the heart of the bowl. Within two hours I was staring at the south face of mt-Macdonald, it looked steep and imposing but it hinted of an easy way up.

We skied down and immediately began the boot pack. Which was ridiculously easy, the steps almost made themselves. We were boot packing up a small avalanche bed surface with great powder just to our left. I could not believe how perfect the ascent was. The snow did get deeper, and we were booting up through 40 cm of fresh snow but it had no slab qualities to it.By 1230 we were on the summit amazed at how easy it had been, 3000 feet of great turns awaited so we did not stay long on the summit.

Here is Doug enjoying some spring snow. The descent was as great as we could ever hit it. From face shots to great carving snow we shredded our way down the south face. Hitting absolutely no sun crust?!?

 Then we turned our energies towards Avalanche Mountain. Hoping that we would be lucky enough to summit two new peaks today. Touring up the glacier we had fantastic views of the line we had just skied. Its always so amazing to look back and see an imposing summit like Mt-Macdonald with your own turns carving down the mountain side.

Once we got part way up the chute between the two summit the snow changed and was bullet proof. Eyeing the boot pack to the col I got scared. It looked like it was at least 60 degrees and hard as ice, needless to say we turned and skied down.Leaving avalanche mountain for another day.  Our turns from here down were great powder turns on top of a solid bed surface. All in all great turns..  10 130 feet