Skiing
For all you backcountry buffs, skiing in Waterton yesterday was awesome!! Lisa and i hiked up Forum Ridge and bagged some excellent turns down the east side to Cameron Lake. From there we skied across the lake and slogged our way up the west face to the ridge of Summit Knob. Once at the top we stopped to rehydrate and then enjoyed some wicked turns down one of the "Five Fingers" back to Cameron lake. It was good to see Brad, Ron & Don out ripping up some powder as well. The only thing that would make yesterday better would be another week of 30 to 40cm of fluff!!
posted by Blair Piggot @ 3/21/2005 09:30:00 AM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
The skiing sounds awesome. can you recomend anywhere to bring a novice back country tourerer. My girlfriend can ski but she is a little imtimtated(sp) by the vastness of the back country.
cheers chris
PS Fluffy saves the Day is in great shape, same with the gasser.
Posted by chris morris
I was up there too on Sunday. We drove up to the lookout on Chief Mtn, and then snow shoed up to Sofa. We looked at the East ridge scramble, but some slides were coming down the standard approach as the snow warmed up. Post holing up the ridge to the start of the scrambling didn't look too inviting so we called it a day. We got back to go the hot tub at the lodge, but it doesn't open till 4:00pm. Should have gone skiing instead!
Posted by chris goble
If she's intimidated by the backcountry slopes, why not just head up a trail and introduce her to b/c that way. It gives her a chance to get the feel of her skis and get comfortable with the whole scene. Then just start going for some short gentle slopes. The first place that comes to mind for me would be to head up to Forum lake. It's a pretty gentle incline to the lake and you can play around on the slopes on the west side of the valley just before the lake. There is also some nice easy slopes up around Summit Lake but she would have to be able to handle skiing down the trail to Cameron Lake. There is also some good beginner terrain up in K-country that would be worth checking out as well.
I'm glad to hear that there is still some ice around. Quick & Dirty and Expert's were both still to thin to climb as of Sunday....at least for me anyways. I think i've done more rock climbing since January than ice climbing....crazy year.
Posted by Blair Piggot
For a rank begginner, try skiing up the chief mountain highway. It is a fair bit steeper than Cameron highway, but not as steep as the trail down from Akamina. Heading in to Sofa could be allright provided there is more snow to cover the logs in the trail. There used to be some old x-country ski trails cut out by the beaver ponds before the lookout. However they are very overgrown from 40 years or so of no maintainence.
Along a similar vein, you could also ski up the Logan pass highway until the avy terrain stops you. I guess it depends on how good she is at downhill. Skiing up to Summit and then out the boundary trail and then back to Waterton would be a long day, but could be nice. The summit knob by Summit lake would also have really nice skiing at a laid back angle. This would make for a shorter day.
Posted by chris goble
Thanks for all the info. I think we will be going for a tour up castle mountain this weekend seeing as how we bought passes and only got a few days out of them. Just to put a bug in the air what about an ice climbing get together in the dry wood this weekend? An ice ender of sorts. just an idea I will be trying to get out there again this weekend so if any one wants to join in let me know
chris
563 0480
anteclothingcorp@hotmail.com
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