Wapta Traverse: Baker, Olive, Balfour; 14-16 March
Posted: Thu Mar 18, 2010 2:49 am
A whole week with no work!
It's Friday. Cecile is going to arrive on a flight from France via Amsterdam this evening. I demand good weather for a week. And I don't want to see a lot of trees.
I send an email to Jason after seeing a forecast like this. This time, Jason is with the program. (The screenshot was actually taken from the Golden library on Saturday.)
We find a hotel in Banff for Saturday night. Finally, we get a leisurely start from Bow Lake shortly after noon on Sunday. We encounter a neverending procession of people who have bailed from the Wapta Traverse. We also see Erica, the nice guide from Banff whom we met at the Mosquito Creek Hostel in January. There are signs of natural avalanches everywhere, but we plan to take the traverse one step at a time and hope for the best.
Below the Bow Hut, Cecile looks excited.
We arrive at the Bow Hut about 4 pm. We make some soup, play some cards, and enjoy the shelter. The sun is still plenty high two hours later. This is a bit too easy. Let's go to the Payto Hut! Jason, let's take advantage of the evening light.
Cecile and Jason above the Bow Hut
Unexpectedly, there are just as many people at the Peyto Hut as there were at the Bow Hut. NOM DE DIEU, we tried to call the ACC, but there was no answer. No, we do not have a reservation.
Six skiers ski the Peyto Glacier toward Peyto Lake. Above them is Mt Baker, our first summit on the Wapta Traverse.
Cecile and Jason follow me up the Peyto Glacier toward Mt Baker.
Cecile and Jason follow my dangerous tracks below an icefall.
Another scenic touring shot en route to Baker.
We are able to ski along the summit ridge, except for one small step to the true summit. I scramble, brace myself atop the crux, and lower a rope for Jason. It's a nice finish to a long tour.
Jason scrambles for the summit of Baker.
Jason on the summit of Baker
The clouds engulf us during the descent. We traverse past Mt Rhonda in a whiteout. Finally, the clouds open and we can see the way.
Cecile leads the way toward Mt Olive. The true summit of Mt Olive is on the right and appears shorter than the false summit. Jason and I are going to ski the lovely face.
Jason walks the last bit of the ridge to the true summit of Mt Olive. Baker is above the clouds in the distant background. Much pain and suffering occurred before this magic moment.
Skiing the Continental Divide north of 50.
How's the snow?
The snow is great! Jason has much better photos. He's kindly letting me use a few unedited "rejects".
Cecile is happy to have foregone Olive.
Now, another day, the crux, the much-ballyhooed Balfour.
Cecile still looks stoked, even with a threatening crevasse behind her.
Little woman, big ice, Balfour balderdash!
After sliding through the "death zone" on Balfour, we glide toward the col.
Not happy to have narrowly escaped death en route to Balfour Pass, I want the summit!
Jason climbs the summit ridge of Balfour.
Skiing Balfour, Lake Louise Lovelies loom.
Jason, skinless, determined to reach the col between Niles and Daly, Scott Duncan be damned.
The Sherbrook Lake exit is easy. Niles Creek does not seem like a good place to be in sketch avalanche conditions if you're worried about hangfire.
Blissfully ignorant, the trail delivers us to West Lake Louise Lodge. Alberta burgers for all just before the kitchen closes!
After a good night's sleep and a leisurely breakfast, I hit the highway. It takes 48 vehicles for a nice man with a sweet dog to give me a ride to Lake Louise. It only takes 4 vehicles for a kind delivery driver to take me to Bow Lake. It's a 48 km drive through the snow to rejoin Cecile and Jason at West Lake Louise Lodge. I find them in the rec room, where I administer a severe table tennis ass-whooping to Jason.
Another night at the lodge and tomorrow we should be ready for more action... VIVE LES VACANCES!
It's Friday. Cecile is going to arrive on a flight from France via Amsterdam this evening. I demand good weather for a week. And I don't want to see a lot of trees.
I send an email to Jason after seeing a forecast like this. This time, Jason is with the program. (The screenshot was actually taken from the Golden library on Saturday.)
We find a hotel in Banff for Saturday night. Finally, we get a leisurely start from Bow Lake shortly after noon on Sunday. We encounter a neverending procession of people who have bailed from the Wapta Traverse. We also see Erica, the nice guide from Banff whom we met at the Mosquito Creek Hostel in January. There are signs of natural avalanches everywhere, but we plan to take the traverse one step at a time and hope for the best.
Below the Bow Hut, Cecile looks excited.
We arrive at the Bow Hut about 4 pm. We make some soup, play some cards, and enjoy the shelter. The sun is still plenty high two hours later. This is a bit too easy. Let's go to the Payto Hut! Jason, let's take advantage of the evening light.
Cecile and Jason above the Bow Hut
Unexpectedly, there are just as many people at the Peyto Hut as there were at the Bow Hut. NOM DE DIEU, we tried to call the ACC, but there was no answer. No, we do not have a reservation.
Six skiers ski the Peyto Glacier toward Peyto Lake. Above them is Mt Baker, our first summit on the Wapta Traverse.
Cecile and Jason follow me up the Peyto Glacier toward Mt Baker.
Cecile and Jason follow my dangerous tracks below an icefall.
Another scenic touring shot en route to Baker.
We are able to ski along the summit ridge, except for one small step to the true summit. I scramble, brace myself atop the crux, and lower a rope for Jason. It's a nice finish to a long tour.
Jason scrambles for the summit of Baker.
Jason on the summit of Baker
The clouds engulf us during the descent. We traverse past Mt Rhonda in a whiteout. Finally, the clouds open and we can see the way.
Cecile leads the way toward Mt Olive. The true summit of Mt Olive is on the right and appears shorter than the false summit. Jason and I are going to ski the lovely face.
Jason walks the last bit of the ridge to the true summit of Mt Olive. Baker is above the clouds in the distant background. Much pain and suffering occurred before this magic moment.
Skiing the Continental Divide north of 50.
How's the snow?
The snow is great! Jason has much better photos. He's kindly letting me use a few unedited "rejects".
Cecile is happy to have foregone Olive.
Now, another day, the crux, the much-ballyhooed Balfour.
Cecile still looks stoked, even with a threatening crevasse behind her.
Little woman, big ice, Balfour balderdash!
After sliding through the "death zone" on Balfour, we glide toward the col.
Not happy to have narrowly escaped death en route to Balfour Pass, I want the summit!
Jason climbs the summit ridge of Balfour.
Skiing Balfour, Lake Louise Lovelies loom.
Jason, skinless, determined to reach the col between Niles and Daly, Scott Duncan be damned.
The Sherbrook Lake exit is easy. Niles Creek does not seem like a good place to be in sketch avalanche conditions if you're worried about hangfire.
Blissfully ignorant, the trail delivers us to West Lake Louise Lodge. Alberta burgers for all just before the kitchen closes!
After a good night's sleep and a leisurely breakfast, I hit the highway. It takes 48 vehicles for a nice man with a sweet dog to give me a ride to Lake Louise. It only takes 4 vehicles for a kind delivery driver to take me to Bow Lake. It's a 48 km drive through the snow to rejoin Cecile and Jason at West Lake Louise Lodge. I find them in the rec room, where I administer a severe table tennis ass-whooping to Jason.
Another night at the lodge and tomorrow we should be ready for more action... VIVE LES VACANCES!