Fairy Meadows - February 2 - 9, 2008 Echo Glacier - Shoestring Glacier - Swan Creek Trees Words by Lee Lau. Photos by Lee Lau, Sharon Bader, Mike McArthur, Jeremy Roche and Bill Carey. All rights reserved

Useful links:

• Fairy Meadows hut general information from the ACC
• Fairy Meadows hut description and gear checklist from ACC
• Video by Eric Hink group
• Videos by Tim Place
• General information by Jim Frankenfeld re glacier conditions glacier travel and crevasse rescue in Fairy Meadows area
• General information on place names by Jim Frankenfeld (Inaccuracies in Government of Canada 1:50,000 maps)
• 1:20,000 BC trim data map - Fairy Meadows to Great Cairn version (big file) [PRINT AS 3X 24" by 36" maps)
• Official Government of Canada 1:50,000 topos of Fairy Meadows with UTM points; north map and south map
• 1:250,000 Government of Canada topo map of north Selkirks (big file)
• 14 days that Lee spent in Fairy Meadows last year - week 1 and week 2

|| Day 1 - Practise Slopes || Day 2 - Unicol - Granite Glacier || Day 3 - Granite Glacier - Nobility Glacier - Shoestring Glacier || Day 4 - Echo Glacier - Shoestring Glacier - Swan Creek Trees || Day 5, 6 and 7 - Swan Creek Trees - Outpost Trees ||

As predicted, the weather broke today. 10 cms of new snow fell overnight. More fell during the day. We started the day off by heading up to Friendship Col to see what slopes would ski well. While Bill and I took a lap on the Echo Glacier then followed up with a lap on the Shoestring the rest of the group headed down the Shoestring then down to the hut for lunch.

(Top) Sharon and Benet looking down the Shoestring Glacier (Bottom) Group ski in graybeard

Light was really flat to say the least. I knew the Echo Glacier pretty well so managed to work the pitch and find knee deep snow where it had wind-loaded. The Shoestring wasn't as good as yesterday's ski with a pronounced slab starting to form.

Bill and Lee taking their laps on the Echo Glacier

Whiteout on the Shoestring Glacier

Flat light on the Shoestring = head plants + body craters!

After yesterday's deepfreeze it was pure luxury to come back to the hut and have lunch and a hot drink. But it was now puking outside and more snow was filling in the tracks from previous groups in the trees NE of the hut. We made our way over there and worked the slopes till dark.

Taking a few laps in the Swan Creek trees

Lee, Benet and Vince in the powders

Sharon in the Swan Creek trees

Stuffed chicken parmesan, salad, soup and then chocolate dessert for dinner - thanks Julie!!

(Top) Lee and Sharon keeping warm (bottom) Vince keeping the keg warm

|| Day 1 - Practise Slopes || Day 2 - Unicol - Granite Glacier || Day 3 - Granite Glacier - Nobility Glacier - Shoestring Glacier || Day 4 - Echo Glacier - Shoestring Glacier - Swan Creek Trees || Day 5, 6 and 7 - Swan Creek Trees - Outpost Trees ||