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Windy Ridge March 7 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


A bluebird day brought us back to Windy Ridge. This time we were hoping to enjoy the 15cms new that had fallen last night while getting in a tour up the ridge above Windy Point and over to the Johnson Glacier into some beautiful looking NE facing glaciers. Unfortunately, as we got to the Strohn Creek parking lot we could see that we were up Strohn Creek without a paddle; as fierce NE winds blew plumes off snow off ridgetops and raked anything in the alpine (in Stewart, alpine starts at about 600m)


We headed over the swamp/lake hoping that we could at least get some good views in the alpine

The point at the top of the picture is where a MOTH emergency shelter is located. This is where howitzers blast to keep the road safe!


Heading up the same route as yesterday we quickly found that the wind had indeed taken care of pow as soon as we left the friendly trees. We pressed on though as views were getting more and more spectacular.

Getting into alpine. Some hardy trees here grew past 800m!




Linda with Meziadin Ridge ins the background




Not much trail-breaking - the snow has been transported




Sharon in her coccoon of warmth with Meziadin Lake stretching away to the east behind and below her


Finally we crest the ridge and make our way to the MOTH repeater close to a Last Frontier Heli pad. We're at 2000m. In the coast most of this tour would have been spent fighting through brush and chokes of slash. Here we were in alpine a good part of the way. Glaciers, summits and icefields stretch as far as the eye can see. Truly a magical place - and shaded from the evil N cold wind.


Sharon - from left to R - Couloir Mtn, Strohn Peak, Bear Glacier and Cambria in the distance



Gear litters this view

XX.

More views




West end of Meziadin Ridge buts up against Entrance Peak (no Lee - you can't ski that!) and Couloir Mountain


Lee takes a moment to bless the Last Frontier Heli stakes with a view to Pattullo in the left side of the picture.


The slopes are wind-hammered but we can still pose for pictures


Sharon, Lee then Brian


The wind scoured the slopes so thoroughly that tracks from animals are left exposed. Just what lives up here in winter anyway?


Tracks

The windslab and sastrugi made for sketchy skiing till we got to treeline

Linda



Linda again

When we got to tree-line we farmed the slopes. In a tight band leeward there was still quite a bit of nice pow!


Sharon






Lee




15.5km and 1400m of climbing



Route info


 

 

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