Spearhead Traverse day 3 – Fissile baby laps (Feb 21, 2010

Words by Lee Lau. Photos by Lee and Tyler Wilkes unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved.


After running around the Spearhead for a couple of days, Wilkes and I embarked on a quest to find pow lines off Fissile. The steeper lines (eg NE face, Elevator Shaft, Summit Chute) looked good but weren’t primed for silk-smooth. I’d actually never skied the tourist baby lines off Fissile (Banana Chute, NW aka Main Face). These turned out to hold the best snow so that’s what we skied.


Moraine off the vestigial Fissile Glacier at the start of the Banana bootpack. Someone dug a pit at the moraine base!!!

Love to know wtf for what they were looking


Wilkes at the start of the Banana Chute face (why is it a Chute? Its a face)


Down Banana Chute then a small bootpack to the top of Psycho Chute


Jackpot!! The top of Psycho Chute


Snow was highly adequate


Psycho Chute before – then after


Going up for another lap and it was getting a tad warm. Sometime this weekend some tourons got involved in a Sz 3 off the S aspects of Piccolo


Up and over from Fissile-Whirlwind Col then on Fissile Pk’s ridgeline for a magnificent view of the Overlord and Whirlwind Glaciers


We looked at Fissile like a Missile. Probably would’ve been good snow but (1) I’d skied it before; and (2) it would’ve made us late for the Can – US hockey game


Heading over to Fissile Pk – NE face was wind-hammered


Bro-brah on Fissile Pk


Dropping in off the peak


Wilkes entering the NW face


Gorgeous snow and views down the NW face


Thanks again Fissile! You’re pretty cool for a slackcountry mountain


Off to slay Mt Banana Split at Splitz Grill (along with 2 Italian Sausage Burger Combos and sadly watch the US thump Canada in hockey)


Fissile Laps (in red)


Nice easy day (1355m climbing) – I made it out the Singing Pass luge run in 55 mins; the splitter took a bit more then 2 hours and two falls into icy creeks


Spearhead Day 3 from Tyler Wilkes on Vimeo.


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