Back from the Northland

Just got back today from our trip into the Northern Selkirk Mountains in big, beautiful, British Columbia. Eight straight days of skiing glaciers, climbing mountains, endless powder turns, and eating way too much food. Every day ended with a flaming hot sauna surrounded by some of the wildest most amazing country on the continent.

We drove up to Golden B.C. spent the night and woke up the next morning to find the heliport. The helicopter transported us and our gear into the Fairy Meadows Hut. The hut was built back in the 50's as a base camp for climbing and skiing. It's been remodeled over the years and is now one of the best backcountry ski huts in Canada.

Here's the summary of the week:

It took five helicopter loads to get the whole group and gear in to the hut and then it flew away and left us in silence for 7 days. The first day we spent unpacking food and gear and made a couple of runs on the slopes right out the backdoor of the hut.

Second day: It was clear with blue skies and we made it up and over the Friendship Col and into the alpine. We skied across the Gothic ice field, up the shoulder of Sentinel Peak, made a long run off Sentinel, and then skied over to the Fria Col for views of Mount Sir Sanford the highest in the Selkirks.

Third day: It was clear again and we skied out onto the Granite Glacier and almost to its head directly beneath the high Adamant Peaks. Good snow, more crevasses, and we saw a large ice fall off of Austerity Peak? onto the glacier. Watching house sized chunks of ice rip down a mountain always makes you feel small, insignificant and fragile.

Fourth day: We skied up the Granite Glacier to Pioneer Pass and skied off an apron coming of the West Face of Sentinel Peak. Good snow and more ice falls.

Fifth day: We skied the trees and slopes around the hut. Weather started moving in.

Sixth day: It was windy with some new snow, skied up to Pioneer Pass again and skied the glacier in perfect snow conditions. Perfect day skiing in amazing terrain.

Seventh day: We tried to get over the Friendship Col and summit Sentinel, but we were turned back by unstable snow and wind loading. Skied the the slopes around the hut the rest of the day.

Eighth day: Fly day, a foot of light new snow fell overnight. We cleaned the hut, packed the gear and carried it to the helipad. We then made runs in deep snow all morning until the helicopter arrived and we flew out.

Over all we had great weather and conditions. There were only two casualties--one eye gash from jumping off a cliff and one slice across the nose by a ski edge after a face plant.

I'm trying to figure out how I can move the family up to British Columbia to spend next winter in one of the huts.

Here are a few shots I took, I will put more on later.















Headed up the Granite Glacier with the Adamants in the background











Creed skiing off the shoulder of Sentinel Peak on the Gothic icefield with the Canadian Rockies in the background. Mount Robson the highest point in the Rockies is the big peak on the left side of the photo.












Turns off of Sentinel Peak and the Gothic icefield. I think the tiny black dots are Creed, Craig and Eric















Sunny turns on the Granite Glacier beneath the "Stickle"