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.   

Three Pass traverse

The three pass route is definitely a Roger’s Pass Classic, done in either a day or three it offers some beautiful views with  3 passes that you climb and ski through. A tour up Balu pass, down and then up to Catamount pass, a long descent and then up to McGill Pass and out to the Bostock parking lot. A 28 km 8000 foot tour.

We left the parking lot at 8.30am and toured up to Balu pass. Fast travel led us up to the pass by 10.30, Jay, Chris, Ian and I were primed and ready for the next two passes. Down into cougar creek and a quick snack to energize us for the three thousand foot climb to the top of Catamount mountain. 15 cm of fresh powder covered all the sun crusts and windslabs that were starting to poke out, things were looking fantastic. We were on the summit by 1.30 and carving some great turns down the NE side of Catamount.

Chris charged down the slope and then Jay followed. Jay skied a little further skiers right and into some snow that was  a little more solar. The warmth created more of a slab and he triggered a sizable slide. He was at the top and let it slide past him and down the pitch, and then had to ski the bed surface. Ian stayed in the shadows and had a fantastic run down throwing up some beautiful powder.

From there we skied down 4000 feet to Ursus Creek and started up towards Mcgill pass. A long but dramatic tour, surrounded by gnarly lines which we all talked about the potential of skiing any of them. Someday perhaps.

From the pass we skied down into Bostock creek and out. Needing a little more vertical I toured up a 1500 extra feet and met up with them at the parking lot.

Great tour. As I said worth doing quickly or leisurely. 

10750 feet  9 hr 30 mins