In Search Of Snow - A Tale of Optimism and Epic Failure
Submitted by J Dogg on Sun, 2008-10-26 22:20.
Tobin, Joanie, and I set out for some pre-season exploring this weekend, aka hiking. But when I woke up and saw all the fresh snow in the peaks, I knew this called for one thing and one thing only - a snowblade mountaineering descent! Or so I hoped...
I packed up my gear, found a technical pair of shades to match my snowblades, and set out for the day. And what a loooong day it was. Our objective was Sun God Mountain, but our map directions started AFTER the first turn, and we didn't know where the first turn was. Oops.
3.5 hours later we'd driven 200km, started up the Anderson highline road, turned around, driven to the wrong side of Birkenhead lake, then back around and up the right forest road, only to get denied by water bar ditches too deep for the trusty subaru. Boooourns.
Dejected, did we set our sites lower? Nope, higher. Across the valley was the Place Glacier hike. The good news there was no forest road driving, the bad news was, well, there was no forest road. Aka, no elevation gain except by foot.
What ensued was basically 4.5 hrs of speed hiking straight up 4300 feet of steep dirt singletrack. Near the top we were running out of daylight, and sadly were forced to chuck our bags, cameras, and... snowblades, for a speed jog/climb to the glacier.
And with darkness on our heals, we pretty much turned right around trucked it downhill, for 2.5 hrs of headlamp lit trail finding down a steep trail bordered by a 100ft cliff the whole way down.
Did we find Sun God? No. Were we closer to God? No. Did I get to snowblade? No. Epic Fail. But we did explore some sweet new terrain, and get a killer pre-season workout that you couldn't even attempt to replicate in the gym.
that snowblade thing isnt so crazy, light and fast my friend. i heard a story about an austrian guy who spent three seasons working as a patroler for cerro wayle in the middle of nowhere on argentinas route 40. he apparently climbed and skied a number of big lines around there with the snow blades. probably first descents. the tent might come in handy next time. Les Manley
I'm so proud to have been part of this epic failure. It was one of my favourite fall days yet! Interesting that Jamie didn't mention that this was the second weekend we got lost on logging roads...in a row.
I usually backback my ski's in the spring and summer time to places behind Fairmont Lake Louise and to the French Glacier in Kananaskis, usually 15-20 km long and with my teli boots on. I get some interesting comments..the best outing was to the Plain of Six Glaciers, where I had many tourists asking me about my endevours, and one hot girl that asked me what Iw as doing. I've skied a lot of interesting terrain. I usually try to do exploratory days like the one you did early in the season. But if I can get a quick ski in, is all the better.
This last weeeknd I went to Bow Summit on the Icefields Parkway and it was a winter pardise with fresh powder. Of course with Parks locking it down usually before it has good snow pack, I had done the trip in the name of snow science.
good effort! I've got some detailed directions to get to sun god if you're headed that way again. feel free to drop me an email if you ever want them.
cheers,
matt
ya i think we just need a darn truck next time, but ya thanks. might go check out owl creek / mt Ronayne. anyone been there?
I had a great trip on ronayne at easter a year and a half ago. it's a great day trip in the spring. Here are some picts from the trip:
http://cairnpublishing.com/author/tripreports/winter/winter06_07/ronayne...
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