COMP-I love the smell of snow: my 11/12 season to date.
I love the smell of snow, when it's cold and raining down low, but you know it's snowing up high. By the time November rolled in I was getting antsy. Nov 5 Castlegar had a mountain-bike trail building workshop, Nov 12 Dave and I rode McGill Shoulder at Rogers Pass.
And it was good:
Nov.19 involved a visit to the classic twin lakes area.
The following weekend Dave suggested a quick jaunt up Ripple Mountain. Poor visibility made for poor pictures, good snow made for an excellent south run off the summit!
(see daves Tr): http://backcountryskiingcanada.....in-the-fog
Dec.9/10 was the rare event of the full lunar eclipse, the like of which we won't see for another 3 years.
Lets go up Mt Ymir says Dave! Who am I to argue? I had recently come off an extended season of night-riding my mountain bike, and was keen to try out the high lumen lights in a winter setting.
Turns out we didn't need the lights on the way up, the moon was out in full force. Dropping into Ymir Bench it got darker, and with spindrift at the ridge top, seeing was tricky. Once down a bit of vert the winds died down, and we put the lights to good use. Gotta love night pow.
(see daves Tr here): http://backcountryskiingcanada.....on-on-ymir
A few fun laps in Kootenay Pass 2 days later:
The next weekend was my birthday, so I chose to summit the South Sister from Kootenay Pass. Dave was the only one dumb enough to join me. 14.5 hours, thousands of feet of vertical, and 5 runs including 2 night runs later we made it back to the vehicle. 9 pm and I'm late for birthday dinner!
(daves Tr): http://backcountryskiingcanada.....uth-sister
Numerous solo days over they next week and a half:
Then a visit to the burnt slopes of Larch Peak accessed from Whitewater.
I toured several days in the Whitewater backcountry, what a gem!
I was fortunate enough to spend a few days at Valhalla Mountain Touring, now that's a swanky lodge, and world class snow and terrain to boot.
I rediscoverd the Rossland Range this season. Such a good touring destination so close to home. A sunset tour up Mt Elgood was in order, looking at Old Glory:
Can't forget about the Bonnigton Range. Three days at KMC run Huckleberry Hut was next:
Fun south runs we did on Dominion Mountain.
The author:
A Jan 15 attempt on Qua peak was shut down by a double cornices ridge and touchy Avy conditions. Made for some good riding down though:
Jan 17 night riding on Mt Kirkup:
(see daves tr):
Numerous Kootenay Pass and Rossland range days followed.
A multiple burial avy scenario:
Then I started touring with a girl:
And now my solo days take on a new meaning with the addition of my canine friend Marrisa:
and my new dog Ballou:
12 days of dog-touring, two cabin trips, 5 mountain ranges,2 lynx and 45 days into the season with months of potentially exciting split-boarding to go. What's next?
Lynx:
Passing lane-Dog tracks:
"Ill walk until i reach the tip of the earth" -Reinhold Messner
