Pushing the Season's

Pushing a season is always a hot topic. Why do people always try to jump into a season as early as possible when they could be enjoying the current season? Why suffer trying to climb on cold rock when you could be skiing? By the time summer is half over you will be tired of rock and will probably try finding early season turns two months before it snows. This happens all to often, so why did I try pushing the season this year? I mean climbing in the middle of march, seriously? Well the reason is simple, Winter F'in sucks this year! That's right, I said it. Whats the point of snowing 50+cm's in two days when temps are just going to push into the positive digits? We had two wicked days (season savers!) then all hell broke lose on every aspect, angle, and elevation, turning the backcountry into a death trap across BC and Alberta. I think five people have died in the backcountry in the last week, which is a terrible loss! I sat for two days drinking beer in a trailer park listening to a buddy tell me how it hasn't snowed for two months at Castle mountain and bitching about three, four, five, I don't even keep track anymore, layers of surface hoar that are waiting to nail us. The call to go climbing came pretty easy, and you know what? It wasn't that bad, actually it was really good! So it looks like I have gotten a good start to the climbing season and I am now closer then ever to tossing the towel in on winter... and i am not ashamed!

Dre scouting the next climb.

First Climb of the year! Well for me at least, Dre gave up on winter a long time ago and in hindsight it was probably a good call.

A sweet arete! Arete's seemed to be the flavour of the trip, not a bad thing.

Sorting gear and being a climbing bum!

A self portrait of a disgruntled ski bum, some how still smiling :)

Winter, That Saucy Minx

I have been in a serious relationship with Winter for some time. Things were off and on between us in the beginning but for the last few years I have been truly committed. I guess I did it because I thought she was a noble season, with true values, honest intentions and a giving heart but it appears that I have been blinded by love. I could not see what was happening to our relationship and continued in a false sense of security. I have finally learned of my betrayal and my beloved Winter’s lust for a sexy, dark, young Spaniard from the south. His name, El Nino and his reputation, second to none. Sure, she treats me well from time to time, but its all part of her deception to blind me from her secrets. I now find myself having to resist the temptation of Summer, her great looks and warm promises. As I prepare for a climbing trip mid March, I feel ashamed of what I am about to do to Winter. A part of me realizes things have changed between us, our relationship has become open. I hope we will still be able to share the good times and the bad.

GOLDEN, REVELSTOKE, ROGERS PASS

Holy shit, its winter in the rockies again! Dre and I had planned an epic mission to the Lyells, but with snow in the forcast and the potential to be walking around in circles on a glacier in an f-in whiteout we decided to head to the Golden and go from there. After a warm up tour to Sherbrooke Lake, just west of Lake Louise we arrived in Golden to find a strong, warm wind blowing in from the south and smashing up the dogtooth! Only one thing happens in this type of weather! It was like Christmas Eve at Caimin's place as we all made plans to hit Kicking Horse on the friday before the weekend rush. When a report came in from the sled trail groomers at 11pm that 30cms was on the ground we knew it was on!

Practicing on the flat before the big day!

It may look like good snow... but its not!

Heading home after a good day of field skiing.

The storm approaches!

When there hasn't been pow for two months there is only time for shitty camera phone photos on the chairlift.

Beards, they not only make you look sexier but act as great "epic condition" indicators!

After an epic day at Kicking Horse we rested up and prepared for another, but things changed the next morning when I checked the snow report for Revy. 8cms at Kho and 19cms at Revy overnight, our decision was made and we hit the road. Unfortunatly for Calgary, but fortunatly for us there was an accident on the highway between Lake Louise and Field. Our backs were covered and what could have been a busy weekend never occured.

These types of things can work for you or against you, this time it went in our favor!

A sweet little run with a big reputation.

Dre gets ready to drop into the pow field below.

With two hits in the bag we looked for the third, and after waking up in Rogers Pass as one of five vehicles in the parking lot and over 50cms of snow on the mountains, we thought we had done it again! Unfortunately the sun beat us to Grizzly shoulder and turned most of the goods into mush. We were able to save the day with a short north facing run down the hour glass and successfully navigated the pass at a 3x High avy danger rating. Mission success and maybe the save for a rough season!

The real men sleep in their vehicles! (and woman!)

Pk. 8812 looking calm despite the storm of avalanches running on all aspects.

Snow in the Kananaskis??? WTF!

After getting back to Calgary from a weekend of spring corn in Fernie, I was ready to give up on winter. Listening to Dre talk about climbing the whole trip, made me start thinking about summer, SHAME. Then, out of nowhere mother nature slapped me back to my senses and it snowed 24 cm's in Kananaskis! Being completely caught with my snow pants down I scrambled to get out of the city! With no real plan I headed for the safety of Black Prince and the tree trinagle. It seems like the snow caught everyone off guard and I shared the area with only one other party, crazy. After four laps I was full. I have to mention that on my third lap I was able to find an area that didn't have a wicked sun crust sitting under the ligth 24 cm's of fresh. I easily punch through a very thin crust into bottomless facets, topped by 24 cm's of blower snow and experienced some of the deepest turns this season!

First in.

When you look this cool, people don't follow you.

The goods.

Ready to drop in.

Some cool trees I passed.

Mount Warspite

Powder Hound!

First in, last out.

Slush bashing in Fernie March 5-7th

Spring has hit early... plus 15 in Fernie and lots of glorious slush to plow through. Dre and I headed south to work on our goggle tans and check out Griz days and the dummy downhill in Fernie. Western Canada was still in the middle of that dame high pressure so we were forced to enjoy sunny clear sky's and spring corn. I contemplated entering Dre in the dummy downhill, but I don't think that would have gone over so well...

 Car camping in style, the bubble insulation makes it feel like your sleeping in a space ship!

Hungry!

Powder Hounds

Oh man its getting hard to find snow these days! You really need to bust everything out that you have in your bag of tricks. Some people are lucky and can afford heli's, cat's or hut trips high in the mountains, but I can't and have to dig deeper in the bag to find the snow. Right now my bag is not very big, but its growing thanks to some of the people I have been out with lately. There are a few things I have learned this winter, one: ski north facing aspects and be happy with what they give you (facets, surface hoar, windslap, melt-freeze crusts...) and two: sleds are a poor mans helicopter. I have also discovered that I am not happy skiing the same run over and over again even if the conditions are good. I have found that I would much rather check out new area's despite poorer conditions, becasue the act of exploration is what makes it that much better. After a few good days at Revy I realized I needed to see some new terrain and headed to Golden. I hooked up with Caimin and Murray to do some much needed exploration.

 Thanks to Marcie for letting me use her sled!

Getting ready to ditch the sleds and head towards the Mummery Glacier in the background.

Mt. Poland

Pillows for the way down, too bad they went isothermic!

Caimin working through the pillow field.

Chris, this shot is for you.

Crank'in a tele turn.

After the Mummery glacier we headed to Rogers Pass to check out Bonney Trees. Even though the freezing level went up to 1600m we were still able to get some ok turns in.

Wicked glad potential!

Cool twisted tree on the trail.

Yuri pushing into the good snow at the top of the tree island.

Snow hills.

Looking back towards Balu Pass.

So after a good adventure in the pass we hooked up with Murray and his crew of powder hounds to check in on some of his old stash's

Its been so long I almost forgot what it looked like.

Always sniffin for fresh snow, Murray hard on the trail.

The masters at work.

And at play.

The goods.

Surface Hoar

If this winter wasn't already hard enough in terms of good snow, the situation has been complicated even more by the presence of surface hoar. For those of you who don't know, surface hoar (SH) forms on the top of snow when its clear and humid out. Its alot like dew on the grass only in the winter it forms into feather like ice crystals.  When SH is covered by new snow it creates a very weak layer that can easily be triggered to cause serious avalanches. The symbol for SH is a bold V and it only means trouble. With all the High pressure and cold clear nights this winter there are many layers of SH to worry about. This only adds to the increased difficulty in finding good places to ski.

Arrggg!!