Poking Around

I've been on a good streak of weekends recently.  For the last weekend of January (capping off an all-weekends month), I headed out for some skiing with two great friends, Fiona and Lukas.  We were pretty slack on the plans, but decided that we'd head somewhere down 93S on Saturday.  As Lukas and I drove down to Calgary, we bounced a few ideas off each other and eventually decided on a certain spot that neither of us had been before.

I spent the night in Fiona's basement which was a real nice place to crash.  Got some cool conversation in with her fam too, they made me want to take up backpacking again!  Anyhoo, we left town at a relaxed hour on Saturday and spotted our area from the highway.  The day began with some challenging routefinding through copious deadfall.  I was confused by the size and quantity of the fallen trees until Fiona pointed out the fact that most standing trees were missing their uphill branches... to heights of 50ft+!  Something huge must have absolutely obliterated the area in the past, transporting mature timber to the bottom of the mountain and with enough of a powder cloud / shock wave to blow branches clean off trees!

We eventually moved into an avy path and had some fun lapping the bottom half.  The area seems to have some narrow paths, but as I learned these can be a bit bushy in spots.  Still, we had great turns in totally untouched snow with no wind effect at all.  It was pure dreamy!

Skinning up in the fog.  An inversion layer moved around the valley through the morning.

Down the Valley

Another line for another time.  Fiona in the foreground.

Oold Skool

Lukas cruises the lower angle runout zone

The fun part, the steeper (but slightly bushy) upper slide path

  After skipping back to the car, we headed into Lake Louise and met Bridget.  Hanging out at the hostel and drinking beer consumed the night, and before we knew it we were crashing at 11, totally wasted.  It's sometimes surprising how even an easier day can make you tired by the end of the day.

On Sunday, the original plan was to go after the Dolomite Circuit.  Car trouble (and associated multi-hour delays), weather and a lack of wanting to force Lukas to suffer the low angle exit from the circuit meant that we just lapped Katherine Ridge instead.  The snow wasn't bad, and Lukas and I even managed to ski a nice shot off the West side of the ridge.  It was another good day, better not because of the snow or turns, but because of the people I was with.  Nothing quite makes a great day like great partners!

On our way into Helen Creek

Lukas comes up to Katherine Ridge

Fiona being... well... Fiona haha

Lukas drops into one of the West-facing bowls on Katherine Ridge

And shreds hard on his Olive Splitboard.  Cool deal, it being built in Edmonton and all.

After swooshing back down the creek, we crushed beers in the parking lot before starting the long haul back home.  Lukas was actually able to make it out Helen Creek without splitting the board, he's got his technique pretty well dialed!  All in all, a great weekend with great people.  I can't wait to get out with these guys again!