After our tour of Phalanx Glacier on Jan 18th we returned to explore Phalanx itself and check out some of the areas off the top of what is know as Poop Chutes.
We traverse along Phalanx to the stairmaster with the ever vast slopes of the Spearhead behind us.
Sharon
Again Mighty Lee heads the charge up the Stairmaster Couloir!
Lee Lau
After the 160m climb we’re at the top, with the sun beating down on this south facing slope the winds were welcome! In the background you can see the Tremor Glacier that was hit hard by the Helis over the past sunny days.
Sharon at the top thankful for her Arcteryx tweeve durastretch top and MEC ferrata spring softshells!
Now at the top of Phalanx to the area you go to if you want to ski down the Poop Chutes, you can see Blackcomb in the back.
Sharon and Launce
Zooming in on the entrance to Blackcomb Glacier!
nice entrance guys!
Lee wanted to get to Foon Alley – a place he visited in 2004. The road was rocky…
hmmm wonder which way the wind comes from.
Movement Skis are TOUGH!
yes they are…
After trying to traverse the ridge a few times we head to below where we could see a possible slope on the other side. We then boot pack up to the ridge.
Mighty Lee!
Looking back you can see the ski tracks and wind… and patch of snow where you come up from the backside of Phalanx. To get to Foon Alley you need to go between where we are and where you get in from the top. Somehow. An ice ax might come in handy.
put your one foot here and your one foot there…
Once at the top of this part of the ridge we are presented with a nice open slope with some interesting convexities that were STEEP and FAST!
Sharon wondering where to go…
This is the kind of slope where you appreciate phatter skis. The Sparks are great, but the Verdicts would have appreciated this slope much more… .
this looks good!
Launce drops in at a steeper section. An ACC group is in the background going down Phalanx Glacier.
tele!!
Lee’s turn! Big picture so you can see the potential!
Angulate LEE!
The slope with Foon Alley on lookers left. .
still not done!
We skin back up to the top of Phalanx and head to more Northern slopes.
Lee!
We find this nice chute to get us back to the ski out.
Lee.
We then head down to the ski out and catch up with the ACC group who set in a nice track ABOVE the trees to the top of a Poop Chute for the last run down some now sun affected slopes and wet sliding back to the road!
