Perley Rock and Vaux Moraines

A story.

Went up towards Perley Rock.

Couldn't see a darn thing. Waited. Gave up. Skied down in the murk from somewhere below Perley Rock.

Climbed up to the Vaux Moraine.

Fell through the cornice on the moraine.

"That was stupid", said the people.

Skied down from Vaux Moraine.

The End.

Easter on the Bonney Moraines

A very wintry Easter. Chocolate. Waist deep snow. And sketchy exits.

Photo: Nick

Photo: Nick

Dispatcher Col

Indifferent weather limited the higher elevation options today. For a change we headed up towards Dispatcher Col.

We've skied the lower reaches of the Dispatcher Bowl before but never made it all the way to the col. It's a fine tour. Generally low angle except for the final haul up to the col where one is rewarded with a great view.

We ended the day by dropping back into the Connaught just skier's left of the waterfall. It wasn't pretty but we can legitimately tick it off the list!

Disptachers Col

Steep headwall

At the col

Waterfall above the Connaught

Route

Tupper Traverse

The Tupper Traverse has a glorious remote feeling that is sometimes hard to achieve in Rogers Pass. We've come this way a number of times over the years. Each time the big slope behind Tupper gives us pause. It's huge and bloody steep. On this occasion we weren't overly concerned about stability. In fact it was hard as a rock. The greater hazard seemed to be catching an edge and sliding several hundred meters down a 40 degree slope.

Approaching the big slope

Thinking about long slides

Nick not sliding

No one took a header thankfully and we stopped for an extended lunch break to enjoy the solitude.

Lunch

Skins back on we thrashed our way around the east shoulder of Tupper into the Connaught Slide Path.

Connaught slide path

This eastern aspect had now been in shade for a couple of hours after baking in the sun all day. This created the interesting mix of a thin skiff of ice over heavy wet snow. It was...tiring....to put it charitably.

All in all a great day in the mountains.

Fortitude

Today began with another dash back to Albert Canyon for Steve. This time for skins.

Parks Canada finally relented on their collective punishment temporary safety closure of the Flat Creek access.

The crossing was still in, but just barely, and no one got wet feet to start the day. It would be a different story at the end of the day!

Photo: Nick

The recent warm spell made for a grueling ascent through the trees up to Fortitude Ridge. Thankfully it relented part way and there was some fine skiing down through the trees to skier's right of the main slide paths.

Photo: Nick

Then it was soaker time!

Photo: Nick

Loop Brook to Dome-Rampart Col

After spending much of the season lamenting how busy Rogers Pass has become we then have a day like this. Not a soul to be seen. 

We broke trail to just below the wind scoured col and descended far skier's right of the icefall.

At the end of the day we skied through the box canyon to just above the Elephant's Trunk which was good for a laugh and a few tumbles.

Begbie Shoulder

"Highway closed. Begbie or Fingers?" said Nick's text.

Begbie it is then.

The road is plowed for logging this year so that saved a few hundred meters of uphill slogging. We pointed the skis uphill and broke trail with no particular plan in mind until hitting the ridge.

It turned into one of those days when the snow is so deep and the terrain so steep that you're almost falling through the snow with barely contained glee.

Brake check. Nope. Albert Canyon.

At the brake check pullout Steve realized he'd forgotten his boots at home. So we returned to his place and skied from his front yard. Bonus: no one fell in the creek this time.

Catamount Sneak - Not

We went to check on the Catamount Sneak. It was way to gnarly for us weekend warriors. Instead we skied down to the Nakimu Caves. It was excellent and we had the place to ourselves.