Rogers Pass - Avalanche Glacier

Today we had the pleasure of skiing with Luc Beaulieu the front desk guy at the Rogers Pass Visitors Center. I guess he saw this as his opportunity to use up all the Pecan Squares and Cream Puffs we keep feeding him! Always a pleasure to ski with a local to ensure we don't venture into any closed terrain.

Also joining us was Marco and Dan. Launce also joined us for the first skin up, he had to leave early to get back to Vancouver and Salt Lake City.

Our destination today was Avalanche Glacier where Luc and Marco were going to see if they could summit Avalanche peak, which they did.

The NRC Gullies.

Lee and Luc starting on up!

We're heading to the top of this ridge then towards Avalanche Glacier.

Dan heading up.

Lee and Luc on track.

Going is getting tougher now with the crusty snow! Can you say wind scoured!

Luc and Dan.

From this vantage you have a cool view back down towards Connaught drainage.

Rogers Pass

We get to the top of the NRC Gullies. It was very windy up here and cold!

Time for lunch!

From here we had to head back over the ridge and get to the col to Avalanche Glacier. Looking across this gully you can see other potential descents down the vent shaft face.

Very wind effected slope!

At the col you can see Avalanche glacier in the back. Our objective was to head up and to the right of this picture.

Marco has no hesitation heading right up to the cornice! Sharon, Lee and Luc are a bit more conservative.

Looking back towards Macdonald and its western ridge (Macdonald West Shoulder) from whence we came.

Marco testing out the cornice.

We ski down to the Glacier. If we keep going we could get to Golden.

Dan heading down to the group.

Mac West Shoulder.

Skinning on up!

Luc zoning in while skinning up the glacier focusing on his objective in the distance.

Luc and Dan

Mount Macdonald and Mac Ridge loom large in the background.

insignificant us.

Avalanche Mountain. Lee, Sharon and Dan head to the Couloir on the left, Marco and Luc head to the one of the right for a more direct route up to Avalanche Mountain. Our snow was better...

Heading into the mountains!

View of Avalanche Peak from Grizzly Peak ridge.

View up NRC to Avalanche Peak from Cheops South.

The sun shines upon us as we transcend the slopes and into the light!

Marco, Luc and Sharon transfixed.

Luc and Marco looking over the ridge to see other downhill options - Coors Thompson run.

Luc and Marco.

Sharon and Lee - aren't we colourful!

The nuggy shot!

Luc boots up the Couloir, kinda wind blown and icy!.

Luc with his ice ax! Nice Rime...

Dan heading up the less icy couloir.

Dan, Sharon and Lee's skis!

Then we go down.

Sharon goes down.

Our "we aren't here to pick strawberries" Couloir! ( thanks Marco for the name! )

Dan heading down.

We were about to head out since it was 1-1/2 hours since Marco and Luc heading up their couloir. We figured if they weren't down now they wouldn't be down for another hour... Then we saw them! Jump turning and skidding down the wind packed slope!

Luc and Marco making their way down.

We did find some pow!

Dan Slutting it up!

Sharon coming down, not quite as slutty.

Luc on some nice powy pow!

Marco so happy having climbed Avalanche he still has his ice ax in his hand!

Go Marco!

We make it back up the col and now its all downhill!

Luc happy he bagged his peak!

Sharon heading down NRC Shoulder gully.

Sharon.

Luc, its all downhill from here - ouch my legs...

Our route. Cool that you can see the switchbacks of our skin track! The detour North could be avoided and you can head sooner towards the col over to Avalanche Glacier.

1685m of climbing in 8 hours

Rogers Run Feb 6th || Swiss Peaks-Hermit Feb 7th || Cheops - STS Couloir Feb 8th || Glacier Crest Feb 9th || Avalanche Glacier Feb 10th || Grizzly Feb 12th ||Youngs Peak Traverse Feb 13th || Cheops South Feb 14th