spring trips, canadian rockies

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May 29, 2009 at 12:42 am #571811
karkis
Participant
We headed to mt Victoria earlier this spring, the winter snowpack was pretty tuff but ya gots to go to know fer shur…
some loose group decision making resulted in us not choosing the ‘best’ ski line down but it was good to remember how it is, dealing with bare ice (safer on skis… or rope), and summiting Victoria was a reel treat. JR Walsh fotos:
Thats Ty Mills shreddin, with the pretty Prior ride.
That was almost enough to turn me off the Rockies for the season, but then we had a bunch of moisture come thru, and it sounded like things were gettin better out that way. the g/side crew got me fired up and i rallied Greg J to get on board. We jumped in with Cody n IceX and headed up behind Moraine Lake, following wolverine trax again.

up the 3-3.5 couloir, a 1000m stairmaster

from the top of the chute its a quik scoot around to the Colgan Hut, and from the hut you can start bootin up Mt Little

Codes shreddin north off Little

mee too

we headed over to Mt Fay and climbed the Roth/Kallen route

it was mostly pretty good, the snow was just a bit funky in spots and the cornice took some diggin

from there it was a mellow skin up the ridge to the summit. Friends in high places!!!

we went back to the Roth/Kallen and i made some hasty decisions, dropped in hot, went right when left would have been safer, and took all the snow in the start zone down with me. Or, all the snow in the start zone took me down with it. ooops!!! 😳
maybe purcelljays wife is right, i need some life insurance…. live and learn, i guess, one might think i should have learnt by now….. im a lil slow sumtimes :banghead: . Ouch!!!
loose cannon, droppin hot

shit and fan a short moment before the mess….

sorry no fotos of the carnage, we were a lil too excited to take pictures. i left them with a sheet of ice to get over on top of the chute, my bad, they dealt, solid cats.
the sunset that night was awesome too

in the mornin we went back up Little for more

then busted out down the 3-3.5 before the day got hot. safety first! 🙄

s’Jahs country out there

I dunno what to think about this spring in the Rockies. A bit brutal so far….
Fotos: Isaac Kamink and Cody Lank.
Thanks for the trip boys, sorry for the drama!!!
never summer snowboards
phantom splitboard bindings
dynafit touring
atomic boots
May 29, 2009 at 3:01 am #618230
Kyle Miller
Participant
Soooo sick
nice work once again Karkis
May 29, 2009 at 7:15 am #618231
fullers2oh
Participant
i really enjoy your TR’s…looks like some quailty time in another amazing place. i love that 3.14 line, a classic for sure. too bad about the close call too, glad you made it out safey though!
June 1, 2009 at 8:32 pm #618232
Camgina
Participant
Spring is the only time to ski in the rockies, in my opinion. Nice work sliding down those lines, the 3/4 is a great line. Did you have to hike up the road or was the gate up?
June 2, 2009 at 4:55 pm #618233
schralptowner
Participant
Um that is pretty sick if you ask me!! I have got to travel up there next year for the goods. Great work on the lines chosen and the pics are stellar!! :drool:
June 2, 2009 at 9:21 pm #618234
barrows
Participant
Karkis, way to get after it, as usual.
I am very glad that you are safe, while your TR may be a bit reserved, getting flushed down the Roth/Kallen on Mt. Fay could really have some serious consequences!
I am glad to see there is still snow on these lines in the Rockies.
Someday I would like to get back up there (I have some unfinished business…)
Stay safe man.
June 3, 2009 at 2:48 pm #618235
Ecobrad
Participant
SICK :drool:
June 4, 2009 at 6:41 pm #618236
karkis
Participant
hey thanks for the support here y’all!!!
The road to moraine lake was fresh opened. beats walkin!!
The line we used to access the high ground is called the 3-3.5, as it goes up b/w peak 3 and a subpeak of #4. its the obvious line in the photos. it is not well described in Doughertys book, so there is some confusion, i got the goods strait from the Top Dog. The 3-4 (Shiesser ledges) is up around the corner to the right, it’s not in any of the photos. It would more properly be called the 3.5-4 but that would be a teknikizzicallity.
My description of the close call was not in any way stated to try minimise the seriousness of the situation. the potential for consequence was there, as much as any avalance incident, and any fall in the alpine. i was out of control for 1000′ vert, including about 40′ freefall over a cliff, and the debris was up to 6′ deep. i got the impression that the board on my feet provided some protection and a bit of control, compared to how i imagine i would have been as a pedestrian. My friends and I agreed that wearing skiis thru a similar experience would almost certainly be quite damaging.
That said, the route was mostly a clear shot down with a good bench below it, much less consequential than alot of other options. And, in case anyone (mom!?!) is thinkin ‘whatta haywire, goes ta show, he’s gonna get killed next time’… well that may be right, but eveyone makes mistakes, everyone, and in some ways less ‘extreme’ terrain is as much or more dangerous, especially in terms of avalanche hazard. instead of dissin my loose styles, even the most conservative rider might find it more useful to spend that time thinking how it might happen to them, and what they would do if it did. ya dont get much time to think when it does happen!!!
One thing i try to think of, which i forgot on this occaision, is, after making a plan to ride a line safely (drop here, cut there, safe island there…), and before actually doing it, i try to remember to ask myself, ‘what if im wrong about that??” There was a more conservative option on that route, and if i’d thought more about the season, location, and my own issues, i might have done it the other way. maybe.
never summer snowboards
phantom splitboard bindings
dynafit touring
atomic boots
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