Jetting Up Joffre

The plan was for Sphinx hut outside of Squamish, but I'm learning that plans don't stand for much when you're backcountry skiing. Everything is dependent on the weather and snow stability. So rather than slogging 15km in the rain and wet snow on Saturday to spend the night wet in a hut without heat, we chose to "camp out" in Alex's Whistler abode. We exchanged the cold, wet night for beds, a wood-burning fire, and beer. We would have been happy either way, but it was nice to be dry and warm. 

Sunday we headed to Joffre, past Pemberton, stoked that there were signs of improving weather.  

Alex

Cameron

Once we past Keith's Hut, we aimed for Anniversary Glacier. The Avalanche ratings were considerable, so we had to play conservatively. Since I'm a newbie when it comes to reading snow stability (and skiing for that matter), I had lots of questions for the others. It took a lot of convincing to keep me going. 

But then we all felt it. The famous "Woommff"-ing sound of a large slab of snow settling beneath us. I had just risen my camera to my face to take a photograph when I felt the snow I was on drop an inch or so. My heart dropped an equal distance within my chest. We decided not to go any further, and stripped off our skins for our decent. 

Alex and Maddy, just after we felt the snow settle. 

Alex and Maddy tearing off their skins.

It was a shorter ski down than anticipated, but it was still lovely!

Back down the way we came.

An instance of sunshine in the valley.

All smiles after the first run. 

Cam and Maddy

Alex

Maddy

After refuelling, we started up Vantage. We heard the first sign of other people in the valley, but still made the first tracks on the hill. Nothing beats a blank canvas made of soft snow. 

Looking over the ridge into the next valley.

Maddy and Cam getting blasted by snow and wind on the ridge.

Cam dropping in for a smooth ride down Vantage.

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday on BC's coast mountains. 

The hike out was tougher than expected and I swear we had to go up hill to reach the car, but it felt great to wrap up the day safe and sound and exhausted. 

Thanks to Alex, Maddy, and Cam for inviting me out for the weekend!

Alex, Maddy, Cameron, Me

BC Winter Road Trip! (Part 2/2)

<<< .... CONTINUED

I was really looking forward to getting to Pemberton because it is a town I have spent very little time in. In order to explore it a little more, I decided to camp in my truck over night. I picked a quiet street, set up my bed and played guitar to pass the time. I discovered I could poach internet off of someone nearby so I watched a couple Ted Talks too before calling it a night. I slept for about 4 hours before I woke to tapping on my window. Turned out the cops needed to check in on me. They were friendly and didn't have a problem with me camping out, but they suggested I move to a safer location more central to town since I had chosen a street next to a trailer park that was known for drunk drivers (surprising since I had seen nothing but mansions on the road I was on). The police officers recommended that I park outside of the police station if it would make me feel safer, but since I hadn't felt I was in danger I decided to park near a park instead. I wasn't keen on the idea of having the police watch me as I slept. Creepy. 

I left Pemberton after picking up a coffee the next morning and made my first stop only a couple minutes down the highway at Nairn Falls Park. I went for a short hike to the falls and captured some shots of the forest with its melting snow and misty morning light. Next I drove until I saw a sign for Wedgemont Trail. I slipped on my skis and skinned up a logging road for an hour or two until the trail became unclear and I skied down. It was a good thing I didn't try to keep going because I later discovered I was on the wrong trail, not that I would have made it to the Wedgemont Hut anyway. It was a difficult 7 hour trek to be attempted another day. 

Scenes from around Whistler, Pemberton, and Smithers. 

After the Wedgemont Trail sidetrack I continued on to Whistler where I was meeting another friend. I was incredibly lucky to have a beautiful place to stay that night. There was even a wood burning stove and three tier bunk beds in the cabin-like condo. 

The next day my friend Josh and I headed to Sproatt Mountain for a ski tour. Our goal was to reach the alpine for some fresh tracks. The weather was perfect with a bit of fresh snow and the sun shining most of the day. However, despite our gruelling efforts to navigate up and around cliff benches, we accepted that we had chosen a poor route up and decided to accept our defeat and backtrack. It was unfortunate, but at least we gained a better idea of the route for next time and we definitely got a good work out. 

Playing in the snow below the alpine at Mount Sproatt. 

After nearly two weeks of being on the road, I was nearly home, but not quite. I met up with some close friends for a home-cooked dinner and then we all ended the day with a bouldering session at 

the Hive. Not a bad way to end the trip. Not bad at all. 

BC Winter Road Trip! (Part 1/2)

I have a project under way that is temporarily in the hands of someone else, so as I wait to get it back and finalize it, I am trying to be productive in other ways. Seeing as my new sport as of December is ski touring, I thought I'd go on a road trip to test out my skins in new terrain while visiting old friends across the province. 

I started in Falkland, BC where the fresh dusting of snow was a pleasant change from wet and dreary Vancouver weather. My friend and I tried to go for a walk around his neighbourhood to find a higher vantage point in the valley, but were denied access due to a maze of fences and uninviting signage. We decided to head to a park and try out some nordic trails in Vernon which proved to be a much more rewarding activity. 

I hesitate to admit it, but my skis were the fat ones in the middle (above). Instead of renting nordic skis, I slapped on my skins and took my oversized sticks for a ride.... Brent and I stopped at a fire-warmed hut to enjoy a Kahlua Mudslide which made it all worth while. 

The next day, Brent and I took a scenic driving tour to Gort's Gouda Farm in Salmon Arm. We enjoyed smoked gouda and salty European liquorish. So worth the drive. 

Gort's Gouda Farm near Salmon Arm. 

After a few days in Falkland, another friend and I made an impulse decision to drive up to Smithers, BC. I was easy to convince since the detour would add an impressive 1,000km each way to my meagre attempt to do a road trip. Plus, I am a fan of Smithers and was looking forward to visiting with my friends from there while also trying out the local ski terrain.  

Creatively named runs at Hankin-Evelyn, the fire-warmed hut just below alpine, and Luke floating on top of the deep damp powder. 

Luke, Alfred, and I hiked up Hankin-Evelyn in the Bulkley Backcountry Ski Area. Unfortunately, Alfred's binding broke as soon as we reached the hut, so Luke and I left him to tend the fire while we went for a quick run without him. It was my first time skiing powder on skis in about 15years (if ever) and I virtually tumbled the whole way down. Luke's technique was quite the opposite of mine—fully fine-tuned and flawless. 

Backcountry skiing on Hudson Bay Mountain in Smithers. 

The next day we headed to Hudson Bay Mountain for the luxury of chairlifts and easy access to backcountry. I got my butt kicked but had a blast following Luke and Alfred around the hill. 

Enjoying chairlifts and the odd groomed run at Hudson Bay Mountain. 

After spending a couple nights enjoying my time with Luke in Sun Peaks, I made my way back towards Vancouver. I decided to head along Highway 1 until Cache Creek, then make my way through Lilloet to eventually arrive in Pemberton. It was only a three hour drive but I stretched it into most of the day by stopping often to take photos and drive down quiet unassuming roads. Since the weather had been pretty grey and warm most of the trip, the scenery had been mostly uninspiring for photography. Luckily on this stretch I found a bit of creative inspiration. The drive was incredible especially between Lilloet and Pemberton. I felt like I was in a different country. 

Taking the time to take photographs along the way. 

TO BE CONTINUED >>>

Winter Wanderings

I recently purchased a pair of new-to-me touring skis, and my brand new Garmont Luster AT boots are in the mail! I'm very excited to try skiing again for the first time in nearly 15 years! In the mean time, I'm happily wearing in my snowshoes from Christmas last year. After a fulfilling Christmas dinner with friend's friday night, I got up early Saturday morning to make my way up Mt Seymour for the low morning sun. I couldn't believe how much snow there was and fresh snow too!! 

After that perfect little hike in a sparkling wonderland, I'm even more in love with winter. 

Get out there! 

Mountain Village of Vashist

Vashist in March

Eating with the locals.

Mountain views.

Alberta

I can't seem to separate my love for photography from my love for Silviculture. It's a continuous tug-of-war between the two sources of income. Lucky for me, they both pay the bills and they both make me happy.

I've been working in reforestation for 6 seasons as a tree planter, but I've only accepted work in the winter on a couple occasions. This past month, for the second time ever, I decided to leave home for a chance to go beetle probing. Funny job title, beetle prober, and misleading too. As fun as it sounds, the job does not require any probes to be inserted into any beetles. Instead, my co-workers and I are hired to probe through the forest in search of Mountain Pine Beetles in areas determined from the air. Helicopters and air planes spot visual signs of recent attack; red dead pine trees, and we go to those trees looking for current attacks. Usually by foot, but often by quad or snowmobile, we approach the attack sites with the aid of compasses and GPS units. Then we mark trees that show signs of burrowed beetles who are sleeping dormant, suspended within the tree trunk. Since they do not take flight during the cold winter months, they are vulnerable. The marked trees are later fallen and burned which takes care of the little critters one tree at a time.

I don't like the idea of marking trees to be doomed for death, but if it wasn't for the chain and fire, the beetles would eventually kill them. And, although the beetles are merely trying to survive and reproduce like any other creature on earth, they are severely damaging our forests.

However, don't be fooled, Mountain Pine Beetles are doing far less damage than us human beings. As far out as we get from civilization each morning, two and a half hours from it most days, we are still far from escaping into the wild. In fact, there is very little wilderness left and not even a bit of it would I consider pristine. Industrial activity exists so thoroughly in these parts of Alberta that we frequently encountered rush hour 90 minutes away from any paved road or highway. It's a strange place this part of the province. I've never been somewhere so remote yet so largely industrial as the ice roads, the frozen arteries, pulsing through the foothills and boreal forests of central and northern Alberta.

 

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