The Matterhorn of the Monashees

I have yet to really explain my lower carbon month. For the month of April all my travel is done sans gas. For years I have skied and adventured, but every one of those adventures was powered by gas. Initially I thought it was a good statement, and that I would learn a lot through the action. We should all do a little bit more for old MN (Mother Nature), and I like most people can do more.  The more I thought about it the more I recognized that I would barely offset the construction of my bicycle. That is probably true but I am realizing that its the change in thought pattern that is important. Recognizing that I can be eat more locally, grow a bigger garden, bike in to town, or to my local mountains. I am not going to change the world but I can help.

 So far I have biked over 300km around town and to my mountain adventures. Two days ago I biked north of town, 48 km up highway 23 to a boat launch. I was there quite early and I enjoyed some time in the sun looking up at our objective. 

I have attempted Frenchman’s Cap two times and both times we had an awesome run but we never stood on the summit. This peak is the 11th highest mountains in the Monashees and very imposing. For this attempt I had more information on the summit ridge and I wanted to make sure we had enough time to attempt it.

Eventually the boys drove in, canoes in tow. Somehow lots of boys were psyched on the adventure and we had a party of nine, 4 canoes and one kayak. I lost a few demerit points because I did not tow my own boat up, ahh well… we all have to make some concessions.

Frank,Joey,Aaron,Mark,Bruno,Sean,Chris,Darek and myself drank a few beers, roasted some sausages and slept out under the stars. At 7 am Saturday morning we canoed across and into the mist.

From there we hiked a little in our boots and soon enough we were touring up Park creek. The first 6 km wasn’t the smoothest with lots of river crossings and frustrating moments.

Eventually it was time to start hiking up the run, and finally we could see what we would be skiing down.

It always feels so big and remote in this part of the range. Which always makes me feel so small.

In the past we always turned around at the ridge, since it is rocky and steep.Today we gained the ridge and started to break it down into smaller manageable pieces. A knife like ridge here, small cliffs over there, all easily bypassed or surmountable.

Aaron stepping it out onto the south face for a brief moment of exposure.

After years of wanting to stand on this amazing peak, seven of us were there.. So cool, after a few minutes on the summit it was time to get cruising. Since the first 50 feet were scree filled and unskiable, we walked down to the snow and started shredding.

So great to finally leave some turns on this hanging summit. As we made our way down the ridge I kept my skis on but there were still some hazards to manage.

Eventually we were all shredding our way down.Some of us enjoying the last turns of the season. Pretty epic.

A long tiring slog out to the canoes, a paddle across and then mission completed… well for everyone else as they loaded up and drove home. I meanwhile had dinner, slept under the stars and woke up to rain. Then 48 km of road riding and home by 9:20..

Last day at RMR..

I love watching my children progress through the ski season. To watch their skills and confidences grow. At times it is excasperating to feel that I am forcing them to go skiing, but once we are on the slopes they are usually all smiles. But yesterday was the perfect season finisher at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Warm calm spring day, soft corn snow, just perfect. As a family we did one run off the Stoke and then we went to climb the sub-peak. I have brought both kids up here before but this was the first time that they each climbed the 400 ft to the top. It was fantastic to watch them, determined and happy they both struggled up the boot pack, finally we reached the top.

Obviously as a father I would hope that my kids follow my passion in the mountains, and to watch them both excited and driven by the challenge was all I need.

Anyhow enough sentimental father stuff what about ski missions?

Around seven years ago I went on this huge solo day around Mulvahill massif. It was an amazing day that I have always wanted to share with people but knew that most people do not want to suffer the approach. It makes sense, 5000 ft up Begbie, down and through some undulating annoying suncrusted terrain, back up and along a long ridge and finally after 8000 ft of touring you are standing on the first peak. The first of five…

Yesterday I started biking at 4 am and biked to the Begbie parking lot, I left my bike in the ditch and started up Begbie. While I climbed and worked my way around to the first peak Joey and Dave shuttled their vehicle to Mulvahill creek, while passing my bike they picked it up and brought it with them. Then they drove back to the Baguette coffee shop and enjoyed some coffee. A round 9 am they got to Arrow helicopters hanger and boarded the helicopter. Five of them where flown to the summit of Mulvahill, Joey, Danyelle, Bruno, Dave and Kelsey.

By then I was a few km away and watched them land, I managed to get to the top of the first peak to watch Joey snowboard down. I then skied down a narrow ridge connecting the peaks and climbed to the highest summit. Finally after 8000 ft of touring I got some great powder skiing down to the group. Then for the next 6 hours we skied together, summitting 3 other peaks and finishing off with a wild 5000 foot tongue to the valley. The terrain in this area is so glaciated that every zone we toured through was gorgeous and tantalizing to ski through.I could not remember the exit and as we skied out it slowly dawned on me. It was six km of arduous up and down, around, across, back up and over and finally boot packing up and out.
Finally back at the car….ooops bike…by 6:30 and biking home. 20 odd kms later I was home..wow… I am still recovering… I estimate it to be around 35 km of biking, 35 km of touring, total of over 13 000 ft of touring and five summits…and 16 hrs of action.

Here is an approximate line of my adventures that day.

Big thanks to Bruno Long for these blog photos. brunolongphotography.com

Biking to Begbie

It’s pretty neat to leave my house on my bike and start heading towards the objective of the day. Rolling across the bridge looking up at the summit I am heading to. Nice calm morning, birds chirping and just pedalling to the trail head.

I took me an hour of biking to get to Mt-Begbie’s trailhead, here I am as dorky as ever.
My set up is pretty simple and rolls pretty well. A one wheeled Bob trailer for all my gear, boots, axe and such. Then I strap my skis on my bike. As I set up this shot Joey, Garrett and Bruno drove by with their little truck and trailer towing a snowmobile. They headed up to some logging roads and sledded up 6 km and 2000 ft, I started touring and finally caught up to them 5000 ft later. We headed directly up to the col and followed the yellow line to the summit, its pretty exposed and had a hairy but well worth the challenge.

We had some great turns down the Hanging Judge, so named because Begbie was an infamous judge in revelstoke who hung lots of people. Pretty fun line but we cut it short so that we could head back up and ski the PBD.

This time Bruno and I took a slightly different way back up…

Soon enough we were on the summit and scoping out this direct line down to the polar bear. The previous time on the summit Joey had belayed me while I cut away at the cornice and prepared the entrance. The previous night I had sent out the next photo as a teaser, which was great since we could check it out again on our smart phones.

then we could also scope it out from several different angles, here is Joey eyeing up the keyhole.

Bruno and Garrett worked there way down the normal entrance to the Polar Bear, and took some photos from the col. Joey and I opted for the direct line, PBD, which was a little thin at the top but worked out really well. No mandatory airs.. Then we shredded some great powder down the glacier.

A tiny boot pack back up some sledders tracks and we parted ways. I skied thousands of feet of powdery tree skiing with the final thousand being not so great. Got to my bike loaded up and 30 minutes later I rolled in to my driveway.