Joffre Lakes Provincial Park is a popular summer destination that provides winter opportunites for skiing, snow shoeing and apparently ice climbing. We often pass this area for less popular destinations but today we were going to check out a new run, Heartstrings. Today we skied with John, Linda and Greg as well as Max and Gregor who will be joining us at Kokanee Glacier this year!
The travel is flat to the First Lake. The sky is thick and good vis is not guaranteed. Fortunately there are tree skiing options in this area.
Snack Break!
We climb up an open slope above the Second Lake and decide to take a run here. The snow is great!
Linda Bily
Skiing down to the Second Lake.
Sharon Bader
We climb up past this tree pitch towards Mount Taylor with the Matier glacier and Joffre peak in the back.
Greg skinning up
We continue towards a ridge of Mount Taylor and have to boot pack the last 20m of elevation to gain the ridge.
Sharon
We are a little to far over so we need to boot pack over the ridge to get down the northern flank to Heartstrings.
Sketchy facetted ridge top!
Backside of Bootpack from Mt. Taylor
Once around the ridge this slope bordered by massive monoliths awaits!
Lee! – Photo by John Baldwin
The skiing was good!
Gregor!
Sharon !
John!
Once off this slope we enter the boulder field that yields pillows in winter!
Gregor
Max
Elevation Profile of the day.
Awesome day guys!