Rogers Run Feb 6th || Swiss Peaks-Hermit Feb 7th || Cheops- STS Couloir Feb 8th || Glacier Crest Feb 9th || Avalanche Glacier Feb 10th || Pillows on Glacier Crest – Video-Feb 11th || Grizzly Feb 12th || Youngs Peak Traverse Feb 13th || Cheops South Feb 14th
Day four meant a lighter day. Since the forecast was for snow and low vis so we opted for a treed line that we hiked two years ago when we were riding in Revelstoke – Glacier Crest. While the conditions wouldn’t allow us to get as high as we could for the hike, it did allow us to take a much more interesting route back down to the Illecillewaet Glacier!
The railgrade approach with Glacier Crest in the foreground. We wanted to make our way down the North East side of Glacier Crest.
Lee and Launce – visiting from Salt Lake City and just getting off a week from Sorcerer Lodge!
Reminiscent of the summer trail the winter skin up was just as switch backed, steep and gnarly!
Lee having some trouble on the off camber, steep, icy switchbacks!
We climbed up to 1920m. The vis was getting worse, it was snowing and the higher you get the more rock slabby the terrain becomes. We also wanted to hit the slopes just above the moraine in the Illecillewaet valley.
Launce heading down the trees.
Sharon.
You can see in the distance the terrain is more rocky the further along the crest you go. In a high snow year with good vis this could be an interesting place to explore!
Sharon.
This is not the steep part…
Launce.
OH! It’s getting steep now! Launce finding some pillow launches!
Teli Heli!
Lee finding some pillows to pound
Lee – hmmm this looks like it goes…
Launce making his way down!
Lee in all his grace and glory!
How far down is that?!?!?! OH well! Lets go!
Lee finds another one!
Lee hucking it!
Launce and Lee checking out the last pillow line.
Lee and Launce
Now we’re on the Moraine and its just steep and powdery!
Lee slaloming with the alder
Lee
Lookout col in the background.
Sharon.
Launce
View back up to the many options. Warning – the skin track is tough to get to these goods!
North East side of Glacier Crest.
The Yellow track shows our route for today. We pretty much followed the summer trail. We climbed to 1920m then headed north-east.
View of NE side of Glacier Crest to Lookout Mt from Great Glacier Trail.
View of NE side of Glacier Crest to Lookout Mt from Moraine
View towards Eagle and Mt Sir Donald from Great Glacier Moraine
Backside of Glacier Crest.
View of Great Glacier – Illecillewaet from Cheops
Video of Lee and Daniel Skiing the Pillows