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Stewart - Bear Glacier March 8 2009

words and photos by Sharon Bader and Lee Lau unless otherwise noted.

Hudson Bay - Feb 28th || Mt. Harvey - March 1st || Hudson Bay Inbounds - March 2nd || Boulder Mt. - March 3rd ||
The Galleon - March 5th || BC Scenes and Windy Ridge - March 6th || Windy Ridge - March 7th || Bear Glacier - March 8th || Shames Slackcountry - March 10th || Shames - Happy Valley Tour - March 11th || Shames Inbounds and Slackcountry- March 12-14th

The road to Stewart offers incredible views of peaks, ice falls and glaciers. One of the most prominent glaciers is the Bear Glacier in the Bear Glacier Provincial Park. Prior to 1940 the Bear Glacier met the road, since that time it has receded to create Strohn Lake which was dammed by the glacier until 1967 when it receded enough to no longer impede the lake.

We park by the road with the Bear Glacier before us and Cambria Peak - our destination - in the background.

Heading to the lake in the brisk cool morning.
Lydia is leading the charge at the toe of the glacier.

Sharon and Lydia
A full view of the glacial ice.

which way do we go!

Bear Glacier in 1980

Lydia undeterred
Heading up the ice.
The next ice fall looks intimidating. But since 12 sleds had already been by we should be ok!


John and Lee heading up.

Getting closer to the crux!


Guess we stay right!

Justin on his first trip to a Glacier is looking pretty confident!

who knows what danger lurks! Sometimes its best not to know - photo by Jos van der Burg
Once past the crux we are on a flat surface and must make our next route choice...

We go right - photo by Jos van der Burg
Looking back down to the Highway below.

Sharon - photo by Jos van der Burg
More icefalls surround us.

Lee and John
We decide to head to Cambria, the North face taunts Lee. Apparently it has been skied by some Italian cheaters who were dropped off on the South Side by helis.

We head around the vast snowfields to the south side of Cambria.

Lydia, Lee, Sharon, John and Linda - photo by Jos van der Burg

Heading up the south side.

Lee and Lydia
Now at the top only facets deterred Lydia from boot packing to the peak!

Amazing views from the summit!
What goes up must now go down!

photo by Jos van der Burg

Lee finding some steeps! - photo by Jos van der Burg and John Baldwin
Now we go down.


Sharon rippin' it down in some pretty nice snow! Lower photo by John Baldwin


Lydia heading down to Strohn Lake and slot city


Lower Bear Glacier - Mt Yvonne and the Johnson Glacier are across the Highway


John thinking "WTF" as he looks at the route through the first set of seracs on the Lower Bear Glacier


Heading up to the Cambria-Disraeli col after getting through the 1600m icefall on the Bear Glacier


At the highest point helis land on the S shoulder of Cambria overlooking the S Cambria Icefield and the Bromley Glacier far below us to our west. Mt Otter (2750m) on picture left is the highest peak in the Cambria Icefield

Heading to Cambria from the Cambria - Disraeli col. The East Cambria Icefield, Mt Strohn, Couloir Mtn and Entrance Peaks are to picture left

23km total, 2170m total climbing in just under 10 hours.


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