First Ski!

East Ridge of Mt. Matier

I have never had snow on my birthday but Friday night, after celebrating with Sarah, it started to snow in the mountains. Saturday morning we woke up to snow low on the north shore and even saw a bit down in the valley during a run. I had to wait until Wednesday for a full day free but when it finally came, I got an early start driving to Pemberton.

Nick hiking in Ceriese Creek

Nick and I hoped to climb the East Ridge of Mt. Matier, normally a easy climb/scramble in summer, we expected things to be a little more exciting with a bit of snow and ice. We also figured we could get a good ski run in down the Anniversary Glacier with all the new snow.

Eric picking through the moraine

Mt. Joffre

The hike in to the ridge was slow going with a thin layer of snow covering ankle and knee breaking rocks but we made it to the snowfields on the lower ridge and started working our way up. Higher up on the ridge we started encountering knee deep snow and some steep pockets of wind slab. I was a bit nervous and talked Nick into turning around and skiing the lower ridge.

Nick scratching up rime ice

Eric skinning low on the ridge

Eric descending the ridge

Eric high on Matier's East Ridge

We switched from crampons to skis and had a cool bit of technical skiing on the upper ridge before we go on to the open snowfields for some fantastic powder turns.

Nick happy with early season turns

Eric on skinny skis

Success

A long slog out to the car finished off an almost 9 hour day. Even without climbing the full ridge, we were both pretty stoked to get some skiing in so early in the year and went home happy.

Stats:

• 20km distance
• 1600m elevation gain
• 8 hrs 20 min

Tired on the hike out

Gear:

• Dynafit TLT5 Boots & PDG Skis
• Leki Cima Titanium Poles
• Alpina Tibet MT Glasses

(Photos of me by Nick)