Third Edition

John Baldwin

A Guide to Ski Mountaineering

Exploring The Coast Mountains

On Skis

Chapter Reference Map 1 HoweSound 2 Garibaldi 3 Whistler 4 Callaghan 5 Birkenhead 6 DuffeyLake 7 Stein 8 ChilliwackRiver 9 Baker 10 Coquihalla 11 ManningPark 12 Ashlu 13 UpperLillooet 14 ChilcotinRanges 15 LillooetIcefield 16 HomathkoIcefield 17 Waddington 18 BellaCoola 19 Smithers 20 Terrace 21 Stewart 22 Juneau

Contents UsingthisGuidebook 9 TripPlanning 15 AbouttheCoastMountains 21

Pacific Ranges 1.HoweSound 35 2.Garibaldi 51 3.Whistler 69 4.Callaghan 87 5.Birkenhead 105 6.DuffeyLake 119 7.Stein 153 8.ChilliwackRiver 163 9.Baker 173 10.Coquihalla 191 11.ManningPark 203 12.Ashlu 213 13.UpperLillooet 233 14.ChilcotinRanges 261 15.LillooetIcefield 271 16.HomathkoIcefield 287 17.Waddington 299 18.BellaCoola 333

Kitimat Ranges 19.Smithers 355 20.Terrace 383

Boundary Ranges 21.Stewart 405 22.Juneau 425 23.ExtendedTraverses 441

Index 445 MetrestoFeet 448

34 ExploringtheCoastMountainsonSkis

Rising 1500m above the ocean, the mountainsaroundHoweSoundoffertheclosestbackcountryskitripstoVancouver.Thisisnotclassicskiterrain,

asthemountainsaresteepsidedandheavilyforested,butthe rounded peaks are alpine near their summits andreceivehugesnowfalls.Therearesomegreattripsheretoopenridgesandsubalpinebowls,withtremendousviewsoftheoceanbelowandrunsof100–400m.Almostalltripsaredaytrips.

The most popular trips are ski ascents of HollyburnMountainandMtSeymourintheNorthShoremountainsaboveVancouver,whichofferquickwintryescapes fromthecity.BeyondtheNorthShore,skitripscanbemadetothepeaksaboveHoweSound.Theseareoffthebeatenpathformostskiers,butskiascentsofpeakssuchasMtHarveyandThomasPeakarehighlyrecommendedtrips.

Snow ConditionsThemountainssurroundingHoweSoundarelashedwithcopiousamountsofmoisturefrommajorstormsthatsweep

1Howe Sound

offthePacificOcean.LocalskiresortsontheNorthShoremountainsrecordannualsnowfallsof7–10m,andtypicalsnowpacksreach3matanelevationof1100m.Athigherelevations,snowfallisclosertoawhopping15mandsnow-packsof4–5marecommon,withrecordyearsapproach-ing10m.SnowconditionsfluctuategreatlyduetothelowerelevationsofthesummitsaroundHoweSoundandtheirproximity to the coast. There can be excellent snow onedayandrain thenext.Typically the snowline isbetween600and800m.Inwinter,freshsnowcanbeexpected3or4daysaweek.Typical amountsare10cmovernight,butrecordstormshavedumpedover60cmin24hours.Snowqualityvariesfromdriersnowtoclassicmashedpotatoes.Raincanbeexpected1or2daysaweek.Toensureyouhavegoodsnowconditions,checktheweatherforecastandfreezinglevelbeforeyougo.Asageneralrule,atempera-tureof6°CinVancouvercorrespondstoafreezinglevelat1000montheNorthShoremountains.Themaritimeinflu-encegenerallybuildsadeep,well-consolidatedsnowpack

SkiingrunsontheNsideofMtStrachanaboveHoweSound.

A Guide to Climbing and Hiking in Southwestern BC,BruceFairley

Scrambles in Southwestern British Columbia, MattGunn

A Climber’s Guide to the Coastal Ranges of BC, DickCulbert(outofprint)

Stein Valley Wilderness Guidebook,GordonWhite(outofprint)

Alpine Select, KevinMcLaneCascade Alpine Guide: Climbing and High Routes—Vol.

3: Rainy Pass to Fraser River,FredBeckey100 Classic Backcountry Ski and Snowboard Routes in

Washington,RainerBurgdorfer100 Hikes in Washington’s North Cascades Region,Ira

SpringandHarveyManningThe Waddington Guide, DonSerlBella Coola Valley & Vicinity: Hiking Trails and Routes,

ScottWhittemoreHikes in Tweedsmuir South Provincial Park, Scott

WhittemoreTrails to Timberline in West Central British Columbia,

EinarBlixHot Springs of Western Canada,GlennWoodsworthIsland Turns and Tours,PhilipStone

Satellite and Aerial PhotographsSatellite imagery and air photographs are a useful aid torouteplanningandselection.Informationthatisdifficulttodiscernfromtopographicmapsissometimesreadilyap-parent.Thiscanincludeforestcover,cliffbands,crevassepatterns,glacierrecessionandeventhelayoftheland.www.earth.google.comGoogleEarthoffershighresolutionsatellitephotographsofmanyareasthatcanbeviewedinthreedimensions.www.pbase.com/nolock/JohnScurlockhascompiledanincrediblyusefuldatabaseofobliquephotographsoftheCoastMountainsandCas-cade Mountains taken from a small plane. Most photo-graphsaretakeninwinterorspring.

JournalsThefollowing journals frequentlycontaindescriptionsofskimountaineeringtripstotheCoastMountains.TheyareavailableatlibrariesinVancouver.Referencesaregiventorelevantarticleswithinthetext.Canadian Alpine Journal (CAJ),AlpineClubofCanadaB.C. Mountaineer (BCM),B.C.MountaineeringClubVarsity Outdoor Club Journal (VOCJ), Varsity OutdoorClub,UniversityofBC

Websiteswww.bivouac.comTheCanadian Mountaineering Encyclopediaisanexcellentonlineguidebookthatcontainsroutedescriptions,photos,detailedroadinformationandupdatesandtripreports.www.clubtread.comOnlineforumandtripreports.www.turns-all-year.comOnlineforumandtripreportsfocusedonWashington.www.alpenglow.orgHistoryofskimountaineeringinthePacificNorthwest.www.skimountaineer.comCascadeskimountaineering.www.mountaineers.org/nwmjNorthwest Mountaineering Journal.www.avalanche.caCheckouttheregionaldiscussionboard.www.acmg.caAssociationofCanadianMountainGuides.

ReadingRound Mystery Mountain,SirNormanWatsonandE.J.

King,1935The Unknown Mountain,DonMunday,1948Glacier Ice,AustinPostandEdwardLaChapelle,1971Ice Runway,RoyMason,1984Towards the Unknown Mountains,RobWood,1991The Great Bear Rainforest, Ian & Karen McAllister,

1997Wild Snow,LouisDawson,1997Mountains of the Coast,JohnBaldwin,1999Pushing the Limits,ChicScott,2000

ClubsMorethanadozenclubsrunorganizedski-mountaineer-ingtripstotheareascoveredbythisguide.AclubdirectoryandcontactinformationisavailablethroughtheFederationofMountainClubsofBritishColumbiaatwww.mountain-clubs.org. In addition to trips, clubs provide instructionandanorganizedvoicetoaddressimportantissuesaffect-ingski-mountaineering.

36 ExploringtheCoastMountainsonSkis 37Chapter1:HoweSound

thatcanbeconsiderablydifferentfrominlandareassuchasWhistler,DuffeyLkortheCoquihalla.Notethatfogiscommoninbadweather.

AccessAccess to the North Shore mountains is from the TransCanadaHighwayrunningthroughNorthandWestVan-couver.

AreasalongtheEsideofHoweSoundarereachedfromHwy99,whichrunsnorthtoSquamish.Severaltripsfar-therinlandarereachedfromanextensivenetworkoflog-gingroadsalongtheMamquamRiver.TheseroadsbranchE from Hwy 99 1km south of Squamish, directly belowtheStawamusChief.ChecktheSquamishForestDistrictwebsiteatwww.for.gov.bc.ca/dsqorwww.bivouac.comforupdatesonroadandsnowconditionsandforrecenttripreports.

SummitsontheWsideofHoweSoundlieabovewhatisknownastheSunshineCoast.Accessisviaa45-minuteferryridefromHorseshoeBay.

MapsNorth Shore 1:30,000byTerraPro.

Hollyburn Mountain 1326mLength:1day Difficulty:2TotalDistance:5km Terrain:SimpleElevationGain:430m Map:92G/6Start:900m Best:Nov–Apr

Perhapsthemostpopulartripinthisbook,HollyburnMtnisapleasantsubalpinesummitinCypressProvincialParkwithexcellentviewsoftheStraitofGeorgia.Itisgreatforaquickwintrybreakfromthecityandoffersafew100–200mrunsthroughglades.ItistheeasiestskitripontheNorthShoremountainsandisfeasibleinallbuttheworstweather.

FromHwy1inWestVancouver,takeexit8forCypressMountain and follow the all-weather highway 13km tothecross-countryparkinglotat900m.Itisapproximatelya 30-minute drive from downtown Vancouver. CypressMountainalsorunsashuttlebusfromthecity(seewww.cypressmountain.com).

ThemainwinterroutetoHollyburnMtnstartsfromthecross-countryparkingarea,directlyunderalargepower-line.Thetrailheadiswellmarked,andasignheredisplaysthecurrentavalanchedangerrating.Notethatthewintertrailissharedwithsnowshoersandhikersandisseparatefrom the adjacent groomed cross-country trails, whichrequireaticket.ThewintertrailclimbsNEforseveralhun-

dredmetresbeneaththepowerlinebeforeturningNalongHollyburnRidge.Abouthalfwayup,thetrailpassesthetopofthegroomedcrosscountryruns.Abovethis,theforeststartstobecomeopenandawideswathprovidesanopenskiroutetothesummit.Thedescentisapleasantskiruningoodconditions.ThereisalsosomeenjoyableskiingNandEofthesummit,with100–200mruns.

A more secluded (and off-trail) route to HollyburnMtnascendstheindistinctSWridgethroughmostlyopenforest to join the above route on subalpine benches S ofthesummit.ParkontheCypressBowlRdapproximately0.6kmbeforetheparkinglotforthedownhillskiarea,justSoftheobviousbendintheroadatthecentralbranchofCypressCr(signedasovernightparking).Stayrightasyouclimb to avoid steeper terrain. This route is best with atleast a metre of snow in the forest. The descent throughthetreesisadecent300mruningoodconditions.Anotherrecommendeddescentrouteforthisvariation,ifavalancheconditionsareacceptable, is todropNWoffthesummitandveerleftdownsteepW-facingslopes,emergingfromgladesintoaflatclearingbesidethedownhillrunsontheSsideofMtStrachanatabout1120m.Skioutthedownhillrunsandwalkthe0.6kmbacktoyourcar.

LookingSWacrosstheStraitofGeorgiafromthesummitofHollyburnMtn.

OpenforestontheSWridgeofHollyburnMtn.

Howe Sound Area

54 ExploringtheCoastMountainsonSkis 55Chapter2:Garibaldi

Mamquam Mountain 2595mLength:3days Difficulty:3TotalDistance:52km Terrain:ComplexElevationGain:3260m Map:92G/15,92G/14Start:940m Best:Mar–Apr

A large sprawling summit E of the Diamond Head area,cappedwithasmall icefield.Thesummitisattractiveforskimountaineeringandisarecommendedskiascent.

TheclassicapproachtoMamquamMtnisfromtheDia-mondHeadarea.BeyondtheshelteratElfinLakes,theout-

linesofanarrowroadcanbepickedup.ThisroadcontoursNatabout1430mbeforedroppingacrossavalancheslopestothemainforksinRingCrat1300m.Usecautioncrossingtheseslopes.OpenterrainSofOpalCone(1740m)leadsEtorecommendedcampingatMamquamLk(1280m).ToclimbMamquamMtn,dropSacrossEanastickMeadows(1130m)andascendSEthroughopentimbertogaintheheadofasmallbasinneartreeline(GR069159).Itisa600mclimbupbroadW-facingslopestotheMamquamIcefieldfromhere.TherecommendedroutemakesanascendingtraverseSacross theEsideof thisbasin foralmost1kmto pick up an indistinct ridge that can be ascended dueEtoa2100mnotchleadingontotheMamquamIcefield.SkirtappropriatelynamedDelusionPk(2500m)ontheE.MamquamiseasilyclimbedfromtheN.Thisisasuperb3-daytrip:acombinationofatourtoMamquamLkandaskiascentfromtherewitha1500mdescenttoEanastickMeadows.

LoggingroadsinSkookumCrhavealsobeenusedforaccess,andMamquamMtnhasbeenclimbedin1or2daysinspringusingthisapproach.Theseroadsweredeactivatedin1997andarebecomingovergrown(seewww.bivouac.com).

Mt Garibaldi 2678mLength:1day Difficulty:4TotalDistance:27km Terrain:ComplexElevationGain:1680m Map:92G/14,92G/15Start:1000m Best:Mar–May

AprominentglaciatedsummitrisingfromsealevelNEofSquamish.Thisisasuperbspringskiascentwithtremen-dousviewsofHoweSoundandGaribaldiPark.

AccessisviaBrohmRidge,runningWfromMtGarib-aldi.Thisisanattractivealpineridge.ItisalsoadesignatedsnowmobileareausedbytheBlackTuskSnowmobileClub(www.btsc.ca) so consider coming mid-week. Snowmo-biles are not permitted in Garibaldi Park, which beginsabove1900m,soyouwilleventuallyclimboutofthesnow-mobilearea.

BrohmRidgeisreachedfromHwy99.About13kmNofSquamish,aloggingroadbranchesEjustbeforeBrohmLk (270m). The road forks 1km from the highway. Taketherightfork,whichswitchbacksuptheSspurofBrohmRidge. Drive as high as snow conditions allow, typically

around1000minearlyspring.Thesnowmobileclubmain-tains the road. Continue skiing up the road, taking therightforknear1140m.Thereisagatenear1400m,whichislockedafterthesnowleaves.Beyondthegate,theroaddropsabout100mbeforeclimbingpastasnowmobileclubcabinnear1450m.Theroadendsnear1600mandtheridge

TheWsideofMamquamMtnasviewedfromPaulRidge.

KickingstepsupthefinalsummitpyramidonMamquamMtn.

TheNsideofMtGaribaldi.Photo by John Scurlock

ViewofHoweSoundfromthesummitofMtGaribaldi.

MamquamMountain

134 ExploringtheCoastMountainsonSkis 135Chapter6:DuffeyLake

Cerise Creek TheCeriseCrdrainageisoneofthebestareasforback-countryskiingthatisaccessiblefromtheDuffeyLkroad.Easy access leads to a comfortable cabin at treeline sur-roundedbylongglacierruns,attractiveskiascentsandlotsoftreeskiing.Itisapopulararea,especiallyonweekends.CeriseCrisprotectedasaconservancyarea.

Access to Keith’s Hut 1670mLength:1–5days Difficulty:3TotalDistance:10km Terrain:ChallengingElevationGain:450m Map:92J/8Start:1220m Best:Nov–May

TheCeriseCrwinterparking lot is locatedontheSsideoftheDuffeyLkroadnearkm21, immediatelyNofthejunctionofCeriseCrandCayooshCr.Itis3kmpastthehighway’ssandshedattheMarriottBasinparkinglot.Ac-cesstothehutisfromloggingroadsinCeriseCr,whichareontheSsideofthemainvalley.Toreachtheseinwinter,dropdownfromtheparkinglotandcrossasmallbridgeoverCayooshCr.Afterashortstretchofold-growthfor-est, the trail climbs up the W side of an old cutblock togainloggingroadsontheSsideofCayooshCr.SkiSonthisroadforhalfakilometretojustbeforeitcrossesCerise

Cr.ThewinterroutecontinuesuptheEsideofCeriseCrthroughmostlyopenforest.Afterabout2kmitbreaksoutontotheopenbankofthecreek.SkiupthecreekbedandswingWtowardsoldmorainesatthefootofAnniversaryGl.FollowtheopentroughontheNsideofthelateralmo-rainetocurveNupontoapartlywoodedbenchat1670m.Bewaryofpassingunderneaththemoraineslopeandstayclosetothetreeswellbackfromthemorainetoavoidanyavalanchehazard.Keith’sHutislocatedneartheEoftwosmalllakes1kmNEofthesnoutofAnniversaryGl.Thetriptakesabout2hoursfromtheDuffeyLkroad.

Day Trips Ingoodweather,winterascentsofVantagePk,MtMatierandVantageRidgeareallrecommendedandofferexcellentskiing.ThesecanbedoneeitherfromKeith’sHutorasdaytripsfromtheDuffeyLkroadandaredescribedseparatelybelow. Mt Duke, Mt Chief Pascall and even SnowspiderMtn—though not often done from the hut—can also bereachedasdaytripsfromthehut.Therearemanyexcellentskislopesinthearea,bothneartreelineandinthealpine.Thelongestoftheseisthe750mrundownAnniversaryGl.Skiingisdescribedundereachdaytrip.

ViewofCeriseCrfromthesummitofMtRohr.Photo by Claudia Schwab

MatierJoffre

VantageDuke

ChiefPascall

Keith’sHutVantageRidge

Tree SkiingInpoorerweather, there ismuchgoodtreeskiingacces-sible from the hut. The closest runs are off the sparselytreed shoulder running SW from the hut up onto JoffrePk.Climb230mup the shoulderand skioff theSE sideoftheshoulderdowntowardsthehut.RunsofftheNsidearesomeofthefinestintheareaandrangeinlengthfrom200mjustNofthehutupto550mstartingfromfartheruptheshoulder.Despitetheproximitytothehut,thiswholeN facing slope is complex avalanche terrain, with bluffsandterraintraps,souseextracautionhere.RunsgenerallytrendNE.Anotherexcellentrunstartsfromaknobnearthetopofthisshoulder.ClimbNintoanotchintheNEridgeofJoffrePknear2050m(GR404769).The600mrunbeginsdowna120m40°couloirthatcutsthroughcliffsintheNEridge,dropsontotheshelteredglacierbelowandcontinuesdownopenslopestothevalleybottom.FartherfromthehutthereisexcellenttreeskiingNWofVantagePk,withrunsupto350m,aswellasrunsWofVantagecolonNfacingslopes.

Mt Matier 2770mLength:1–2days Difficulty:3TotalDistance:16km Terrain:ComplexElevationGain:1550m Map:92J/8Start:1220m Best:Dec–Apr

ThisisthehighestsummitSofCayooshPassandperhapsoneofthefinestskimountaineeringtripsfromtheDuffeyLkroad.MtMatierismostoftenclimbedfromKeith’sHutinCeriseCr.ItalsomakesanexcellentdaytripfromMarchonwards.

Access to Mt Matier is via Anniversary Gl. There areseveralroutesontotheglacier,dependingonwhetheryouarestartingfromKeith’sHutorfromCeriseCr.

IfcomingdirectlyfromtheDuffeyLkroad,theglacierismosteasilyreachedbyskiingthroughthegapbetweentheterminalmorainesbelowthesnoutoftheglacierat1600m.Continueuptheglacierto1900m.Toavoidthesteeperpartof theglacierabove,swingrightaroundanobviousrockoutcrop and pick up a broad snow ramp higher up thatanglesleftbackontotheglacier.

FromKeith’sHutamoredirectrouteontoAnniversaryGlistoskiuptheridgeWofthehut.ClimbabovethetreestoaknobbelowtheEsideofJoffrePknear2000m.Fromtheknob,descendashortdistanceontoabenchthatcrossesagullyandtraversestoabroadsnowrampthatanglesupontotheupperpartofAnniversaryGl.

TheupperglacieriseasilyascendedtotheMatier–Joffrecolattheheadoftheglacier.Watchforcrevassesearlyintheseason.MtMatierisashortsnowclimbviaitsNridge

Keith’s Hut Map:92J/8 Cost:bydonationGR:415772 Capacity:20Elevation:1670m Reservations:noLocationNeartheheadofCeriseCrattreelineonatimberedknoll1kmNEofthesnoutofAnniversaryGl,neartheEoftwosmalllakes.Facilities Alargebrightcomfortabletimber-framedcabinwithawoodstoveforheat,alargetable,cookingarea,andsleepingloft.Use Thishutisheavilyused.Pleasebesuretoburnyourtoiletpaperinthewoodstoveandpackoutallyourgarbage.Thehutismaintainedbyvolunteers.Donationsarecrucial,andmoneyhelpstodefraythecostofflyinginfirewoodanddoinggeneralmaintenance. The hut wasn’t intended for commercial use orlargegroups.Trytokeepgroupssmall;commercialusersshoulddonateatleast$20/person/night.Builtin1988byfriendsandfamilyinmemoryofKeithFlavelle,whodiedontheEastRidgeofMtLogan.Contact Information Donations can be inserted into a metalcollection cylinder in the hut or mailed using the addressedenvelopesprovidedinthehut.

HeadingtotheAnniversaryGlfromKeith’sHut.

Photo by Katy Chambers

342 ExploringtheCoastMountainsonSkis 343Chapter18:BellaCoola

Monarch IcefieldLength:10–14days Terrain:ComplexBest:Apr–May Map:93D/1,92M/16,92N/13

TheMonarchIcefield is thefirst largeconglomerationofglaciers SE of Bella Coola. It is comprised mainly of thesprawlingJacobsenandTalchakoGls thatdrainEand isboundedontheSandWbyaseriesofglaciersthatplungefrom its perimeter into the deep coastal valleys of theSheemahantandTaleomyRs.Summitsaregenerallyquitehighandruggedandoffer someof themost spectacularsceneryintheCoastMountainsoutsideoftheWaddingtonRange.

Theicefieldisabout50kmlongand10–20kmwide.TheWsideoftheicefieldoffersfabulousskimountaineering.Summitstendtobeabitspreadoutforatruebasecampbutarewellsuitedtoarovingstyleofbasecampwithstaysofseveraldaysinafewdifferentlocations.

Traverses across the icefield are also popular and aredescribedseparatelybelow.

TheMonarchIcefieldisnamedforMtMonarch(3550m)ontheSEcorneroftheicefield.Thehugesteeppyramidis

thehighestsummitintheCoastMountainsoutsideoftheWaddingtonRange.Skiswerefirstusedontheicefieldin1953byapartyofclimberswhoskiedacrossthe icefieldfromApeLk tomake the secondascentofMtMonarchvia itsWface (CAJ 1954,p.7).The1000m50° facewasskiedin2003byPtorSpricenieksandChrisKettles(www.biglines.com).

AccessBecauseofitsproximitytoBellaCoola,accesstotheMon-archIcefieldisrelativelystraightforward.Overlandroutesarepopular,andmanytripsdonotrelyonairsupport.Themost direct approach to the Monarch Icefield is via theApeLkarea(seeabove).FollowApeLakeTrailandalpinebenches above the Noeick R to reach alpine terrain sur-roundingApeLk.TheusualroutetotheMonarchIcefieldcrosses the upper Noeick R on snowbridges about 5kmNWofApeLk.AscendthegentleNoeickGlandtraverseE across a glaciated bench at 1850m to reach the upperFylesGl.AvoidanicefallontheFylesGlatabout2100mbyswingingovertotheEsideoftheglacier.Continuetotheheadoftheglacierandskithroughthe2350mpassEof

DescendingSEfromtheMongol–JacobsencolontotheMonarchIcefield.

MongolMtntoatremendousviewoftheMonarchIcefield.Descend250montothemainbranchoftheJacobsenGl.

Thisisanenjoyableapproachthattakesapproximately3daystoskitotheJacobsenGlfromtheNusatsumforestser-viceroad.Therouteisstraightforward—withonlyashortstretchofforesttravel—andisveryscenic.Thisapproachisalsosuitableforlightweighttoboggans.Themainpartoftheicefieldisonlyabout50kmfromtheBellaCoolavalley,

andahelicopterdrop-offorairdropisalsocommon,espe-ciallyforlongertrips.

ApproachesfromApeLkhavealsobeenused.Thereisan icefall on the lower Fyles Gl at 1660m, which can beavoidedontheW.IfascendingdirectlyfromApeLk,ungla-ciatedterrainWoftheApeGlprovidesthebestrouteontotheupperFylesGl.AnalternativeroutetravelsSEfromApeLktoreachtheJacobsenGldirectly.ThisavoidsascendingtheFylesGlbutrequiresnegotiatingsomemajorcrevassedareasontheJacobsenGlatabout1700and2000m.

Ref:CAJ 1992,p.36

PeaksMost summits suitable for skiing lie along the corridorsurrounding the main divide between the Talchako andSheemahantdrainages.Mountainson theWedgeof theMonarch Icefieldareparticularly spectacular and severalareoutstandingskiascentswithincredibleviewsof largeglaciersspillingofftheicefieldintothedeepcoastaldrain-agesoftheTaleomyandSheemahantRs.Mostpeakstypi-callyrise500–800mabovethemainglaciersandoftenin-volveshortsnowclimbstoascendthefinalsummit.

TheNsideofCerberusMtnfromthebaseofMtGeryon.

OgreMtnfromtheS.Photo by John Scurlock

346 ExploringtheCoastMountainsonSkis 347Chapter18:BellaCoola

Monarch Icefield TraverseLength:16days Difficulty:3TotalDistance:120km Terrain:ComplexElevationGain:3800m Map:93C/5,93C/4,92N/13,92M/16,93D/1Start:400m Best:Apr–MayJohnBaldwin,SteveLudwig,HelenSovdat,May1987,CAJ 1988,p.72

Thisisanincrediblyscenicandvariedtraversethatisre-peatedregularly.Therouteformsahorseshoearoundthedrainageof theTalchakoR. It combinesanapproachonsubalpinelakesinTweedsmuirParkwithacrossingoftheMonarchIcefieldandeitheranexitpastApeLkorarug-ged finish along the glaciers of the Nusatsum Divide. ItdoesnotinvolveanycomplicatedlogisticsandisthemostpopulartraverseacrosstheMonarchIcefield.Routefindingisgenerallystraightforward.

RouteThetraversestartsbyapproachingtheEsideoftheicefieldviathechainoflakesonHunlenCrinTweedsmuirSouthProvincialPark.Thisisanattractivesectionofthetraverserequiringapproximately4–5daystoreachtheTalchakoGl.Beginwhere themainhighwaydrops to theBellaCoolavalley.Ajeeproadruns12kmuptheEsideoftheAtnarko

R.Therough2WDroadisnotmaintainedinwinterandissusceptibletospringfloodinginlateMayandearlyJune.AtrailcontinuesbeyondcrossingtheAtnarkoRattheoutletofStillwaterLkandclimbinguptheridgeWofHunlenCrtoreachTurnerLk(1100m)after16km.ThespectacularHunlenFalls,justNofthelakeoutlet,plungeovera260mcliffandareamust-see.

It is apleasant skidown theTurnerLkchain. JunkerLkandWidgeonLkareespeciallyscenic.Therearecabins3/4ofthewaydowntheWsideofTurnerLk.(Tousethecabins contact Hunlen Wilderness Camp through www.tweedsmuirair.com or at PO Box 308, Bella Coola, V0T1C0).IcebeginstoleaveTurnerLkaftermidtolateApril,andatrailontheEsideofthelakecanbeusedtoreachJunkerLklaterinthespring.

FromtheEendofWidgeonLk,climbStoreachmead-owsneartreeline.TraverseSonscenicbenchesattreelineaboveSunshineValleyandtheTalchakoRandcontinueSthroughPandemoniumPasstoreachtheedgeoftheMon-archIcefieldontheTalchakoGlnear1430m.

Once on the Talchako Gl, ski W across the MonarchIcefieldonthehugeupperbranchesof theTalchakoand

SkiingacrosstheMonarchIcefield.

JacobsenGlsbycrossingthroughthe2500mpassbetweenMt Dagon and Erehwon Mtn. The icefield is generallystraightforwardtotravelonandisrelativelycrevassefree.

FromtheJacobsenGlattheNendoftheicefield,ascendNthrougha2350mpassEofMongolMtntogaintheheadoftheFylesGlSofApeLk(seeabove).TheroutefinisheswithasidehilltraversepastPolarBearLkandanexittotheNusatsumforestserviceroadviaApeLakeTrail.

Detaileddescriptionsofportionsoftheroute,recom-mendedsidetripsandaccessaregivenundertheseparateheadingsforApeLkandtheMonarchIcefieldabove.

Fortripreportssee:VOCJ1995–96,p.25;VOCJ2002–03,p.63;www.bivouac.com

LogisticsAirdrops can be staged from Bella Coola or with WhiteSaddleAirfromBluffLk.Thetraversehasalsobeendonewithouttheaidofairsupport.Withnoairdrop,itisrecom-mendedthatyoudothetripinreverse,astheapproachtoApeLkismuchbettersuitedtoheavyloadsthantheap-proachtoTweedsmuirPark.LightweighttobogganshavebeenusedtocarrysuppliestoApeLkandacrosstheMon-archIcefield.

VariationsTheroutedescribedaboveexitsfromPolarBearLktotheheadoftheNusatsumR.Thisistheshortestandleasttech-nicalversionofthetraverseandhasbeendoneinaslittleas12daysingoodconditions.ThetraverseisoftenextendedbyskiingNalongtheNusatsumDivide(seeabove).LeavetheaboverouteSWofPolarBearPkandfollowtheNu-satsum Divide traverse across the Itasca Gl and past MtArjunatotheheadofNoomstCr.Thisvariationhasbeenrepeated several times and forms a complete horseshoearoundtheTalchakoR.Itadds30kmtothedistanceand2900mtotheelevationgaingivenaboveandtakesanextra3daysingoodconditions.

A side trail climbs W from Turner Lk to PanoramaRidge, and a few parties have included this area in theirtraverse.GlacierMtn(2600m)SoftheattractiveEchoLkistheobviousobjectivehereandgivestremendousviewsoftheMonarchIcefieldandthemountainssurroundingtheTalchakoR.

ViewSEtoPrincessMtnfromacampontheMonarchIcefield.

378 ExploringtheCoastMountainsonSkis 379Chapter19:Smithers

swingoutontotheglacier,thoughtherearestillafewcre-vasses just above the icefall. The climb through PolemicPass is straightforward, though the pass is often windy.Descend onto the glacier beyond the pass. Continue thelooptothechaletbyreturningasdescribedbelowforLoftPk.Notethatahigher2345mcol1kmtotheWcanalsobeused.Thiscolisespeciallyscenicbutisalittletrickiertogainandisonlyrecommendedingoodconditions.

Loft Peak 2130mTotalDistance:11km Difficulty:3ElevationGain:1200m Terrain:Complex

Oneofthefewhigh-alpinepeaksthatisaneasyskiascent,Loft Pk offers stunning views of Howson Peak (2745m)andthebestskiruninthearea.Thesummitiseasilyin-cludedinaloopthroughPolemicPassorcanbeclimbeddirectlyfromthechalet.Aski trail traversesthroughtheforestfromthelodgeintotheopenbasininLoftCr.Fromthebasinascendthe indistinctridgeNEofLakeheadPkupontoashoulderat1450mbeforeusingmicroterraintotraverseopenslopestothebroadglacierleadinguptothe

Burnie Glacier Chalet Map:93L/5 Cost:weeklypackagesGR:870334 Capacity:11Elevation:1010m Reservations:yesA deluxe backcountry ski lodge offering unparalleled skimountaineeringinthespectacularHowsonRange.Location OntheEsideoftheHowsonRange,approximately50kmSWofSmithers.Itissituatedabout3kmNofBurnieLake,justEofthetoeoftheBurnieGl.Facilities A three-storey, hand-crafted 7m x 7m post-and-beamstructure built in 2001.This is a very comfortable backcountry skilodge with sleeping space for 11 guests in four separate rooms—two bedrooms with two beds, one bedroom with four beds, andone bedroom with three beds. Bedding and down comfortersareprovided,soasleepingbagisnotrequired.Themainfloorhasa fully equipped kitchen with wood heat and a large dining andsittingarea.Lightingisprovidedbyahybridsolar/battery/generatorsystem.Wateriscarriedfromanearbycreek.Thereisanoutstandingcedarsauna.Alargeentryroomonthemainfloorprovidesstorageforbootsandpacks.Additionalstorageisavailableinthebasement,whichalsohasaworkbenchforskiwaxing,maintenanceorrepairs.Thereisaguide’sroomonthemainfloor,andtwostaffroomsinthebasement.Compostingtoiletsareoutdoors.ThelodgeisequippedwitharadiotelephoneandInternetaccess.Contact Information Bear Mountaineering, 250-847-3351, www.bearmountaineering.ca Hostand GuideChristophDietzfelbingerCost Guidedandcateredweeksare$1750perpersonincludingallmeals and accommodation at the lodge, guiding and helicoptertransportation. Self-guided and self-catered weeks are available at$950perpersonforagroupof10takingtheentirelodge(includeshelicoptertransportation).Environment Bear Mountaineering purchases carbon credits tooffset your flight to Smithers and your flight to the lodge, so thateachguest’stripiscarbonneutral.BearMountaineeringisamemberofOne Percent fOr the Planet.

SkiingtowardstheEfaceofHowsonPk.

summit(GR844306).ThewholeareaNofLakeheadPkisexposedtoavalanches.Usecautionhere.Therunoffthesummitisfabulous,andbyveeringrightofftheshoulderat1400myoucanjointhelowerpartofPtarmigan(seeLake-headPk)andskiallthewaytotheBurnieRfora1200mdescent.

Lakehead Peak 2010mTotalDistance:9km Difficulty:4ElevationGain:1110m Terrain:Complex

ThesteepEsideofLakeheadPk(GR848301)isaruncalledPtarmigan.Thetopisdifficultandcommittingandisonlysuitable forgoodconditions,but the800mrunfromthesmallmorainebenchat1700mtoBurnieLkisontheup-perlimitofclassic.

Telkwa Peak 2440mTotalDistance:18km Difficulty:3ElevationGain:1680m Terrain:Complex

AlsocalledOutcastPk,thissummitisagoodhigh-alpinetouracrosstheSTelkwaGl,reachedfromtheupperBur-nieGlbycrossingNthrougha2050mcol.TelkwaPk(GR

DescendingtheSolitaireGl. Photo by Linda Bily

TracksonLoftPk.

386 ExploringtheCoastMountainsonSkis 387Chapter20:Terrace

Shames Mountain Backcountry ShamesMountainisthedownhillskiareajustWofTer-race.Asadownhillskiareaitisagreatlocalresortthathasbeeninoperationsince1990,butwhatputsitonthemapforthisguideisits“unrivalledbackcountryaccess”(Pow-dermagazine).From the topof the lifts, almostadozenalpinebowlscanbereachedinadayoftouring,offeringeverythingfrommoderategladestoopenbasinsornarrowchutes.Mostrunsare600–800mwithafewupto1000m.

AccesstoShamesMountainis35kmWofTerraceonHwy16.Themountainbaseis13kmuptheShamesaccessroadat700m.Backcountryaccess is fromthe topof theRedT-barat1190m.Aone-rideticketisavailable.Thereareshortbootpacksaccessingnearbyglades(seewww.shames-mountain.com),buttherealplumsarelongerbackcountryskitripstothenearbyridgecrestsandsurroundingalpinebasins.AdetailedonlineguidetotheShamesbackcoun-trywithnamesandphotographsofskilinesisavailableatwww.mtremo.ca(seealsolinksfromwww.azadadventures.com).Manyvariationsexist,butsomeofthemorepopularroutesaredescribedbelow.

NotethattheShamesMountainbackcountryisexpertterrain,andavalanchescanbetriggeredanywhereoutside

the skiareaboundary.Allpersonsventuringbeyond thelifts here should be familiar with travel in complex ava-lancheterrain,carryavalancherescuegearandknowhowtouseit.Thereisnocellphonecoverage.

The Dome 1430mLength:2–3hours Difficulty:3TotalDistance:5km Terrain:ChallengingElevationGain:400m Map:103I/7,103I/10Start:1190m Best:Dec–Apr

TheDomeisthefirsthighpointontheridgeNoftheskiarea.Asidefrombootpacks,itistheshortestbackcountryoutingbeyondtheliftsandgivesaccesstothemaindivideandtheclosestalpinebasins.Thisisaneasytrip,whichof-fersagoodintroductiontobackcountryskiingatShamesMountain.

FromthetopoftheRedT-bar,gainthefirstknollontheridgeabout100mabovethelift.TheridgecrestflattensoutabovethisandcanbefollowedNEforabout1kmupontothebroadroundedhighpointknownasTheDome(GR036396). Once above the first knoll, you are abovetreeline and it is easy to become disoriented in flat lightorwhite-outconditions.Thereisusuallyabootpacktrailalongtheridge.

TheDomeandridgesclosetotheShamesskiarea,whichisvisibleontheright.Photo by Roger Fehr

TheDome

EastRidgeCorniceRidge

MtRemo

called the Zymacord R.) This rounded, undulating ridgegivesaccesstomorethanhalfadozenNandSfacingalpinebasinsthatoffersomeofbestrunsinthearea.

ThestandardrouteistoleavefromthetopoftheT-barandgoalongtheridgetowardsTheDome.TraverseNorthBowlontheNsideofTheDometogainZymacordRidgeorskiupTheDomeandskidownupperNorthBowl.Skialongtheridgetothetopofthedesiredbasin.

South BowlsLength:1day Difficulty:3TotalDistance:7km Terrain:ComplexElevationGain:600–800m Map:103I/7,103I/10Start:1190m Best:Feb–Apr

ThealpinebasinsontheSsideofZymacordRidgearevis-iblefromthetopoftheskiareaandofferthemostacces-sibleruns.Mosttripsinvolveoneormoreruns.Fish BowlistheSWfacingbowlthatstartsfromthefirsthighpoint1kmNofTheDome. Itoffers250mrunsonslopesupto30°.Fromthebottomoftherunat1100mitisashortskinbackuptotheskiarea.Geronimo Bowl is theprominentS facingbowldirectlyacrossfromthetopoftheT-bar.Thisisabigterrainfea-turewithrunsthatvaryfromthecentral30°Men-Who-

From the top of The Dome, there are several optionsdependingonavalanchehazard,weatherandlengthoftripdesired. The shortest and safest outing is to retrace yourascentroutebacktotheskiarea.

Ingoodconditions,themainattractionistheexcellent200m run in North and Powder Eights Bowls immedi-atelyNWofTheDome.FromthebottomoftheseyoucanreturntotheskiareabydroppingWdownthevalleyto1100mandskinninguptotheDeliverancedownhillruneitherbytheViagra-Boysuptrack(yep-straightup!)orviatheGratefulDeadroute,whichmeandersgentlythroughlow-angleterraintogaintheCattrack.

If conditions aren’t quite right to try the back bowls,anotherpopularoptionistoskiSWfromTheDomeanddropdownchutesknownasTheFay-zursthatleadbacktothemainskiruns.Anindistinctridgerun500mfartherEisknownasWaterfallTrees.Itdropsabout600mbacktothebaseoftheskiarea.

Zymacord Ridge OnceatTheDome,youareonZymacordRidge,whichrunstotheWandformsthemaindividebetweentheShamesandZymagotitzRs.(NotethatlocallytheZymagotitzRis

NsidebowlsonZymacordRidge.Photo by Rod Gee

HiddenLake

CherryBowl

Duncan’sBowl