[cdt-l] Another different kind of trip on the divide (GDT) (trip report)

Mon Feb 5 22:13:46 CST 2007

BlankFurther north, one can access much of the GDT in winter on skis or snowshoes. Here's the report of our recent outing to the Mount Assiniboine area which the GDT passes through. No wine consumed on this trip as we had enough other stuff to haul. 

Enjoy..or delete and skip. :)

28th January:

Gail and I were out at a party with the Honolulu Marathon running group on the night of the 27th (good Papa John's pizza!) so we did not get out of town until 8:00 am. We went via Highway 40 and the Smith Dorrien Road to the Mount Shark Trailhead. It was a fine clear morning as we set off at 10:15 along the track set trails towards Watridge Lake. I’d decided to take my double cambered Tua Escape skis rather than the wider single cambered Tua Transalp ones. It’s always a compromise on trips with a long flattish ski in and some potentially good downhill skiing during other parts of the trip. We met a group of 2 and then a group of 3 who’d stayed at the Bryant Creek Cabin during the first part of the ski in. At 1:30 we had lunch in the warm sunshine sitting on the steps of the Bryant Warden Cabin just up valley of the shelter. We continued on up the valley using the broken trail which followed the summer route. At the Allenby Pass junction we saw that the tracks had come from Allenby Pass so we’d now have to break trail ourselves towards Assiniboine Pass. This was not too onerous as the skis sank no more than boot depth. I’d hoped to get to the west side of the pass today but at 6:15 pm it was getting difficult to locate the route so we camped for the night at about GR 988418 (Map 82J/13) having skied about 20km (12.5 miles). The temperature had already dropped to -13C (9F) from a high of -2C (28F). I cooked up some tuna and mashed potatoes with added dried peppers and spinach while Gail put up the tent. We soon had bright moonlight shining on us as we ate supper. Broken Cop-op chocolate bars for dessert - 500gm for $2.99. We rationed ourselves as this container full was for 3 desserts! 

29th January:

I did not hear the 7.00 alarm so it was 7:45 before I got up. We packed up and were on our way by 9:15 - temperature -16C (3F). We followed the summer trail route up the steep section then on to Assiniboine Pass. We descended to a meadow then went on up to a ridge the other side where, at 10:30, we found a good sheltered place to set up the tent for the next 3 nights at around 7100’ elevation GR 975414. We put up the tent and hung our food then set off with light packs. We easily broke trail towards Assiniboine lodge. We stayed above it and then headed for Wonder Pass. We got some great views of Mt Assiniboine then the weather clouded in for a bit but it brightened again soon after reaching the pass. We spent an hour (from about 2:15pm - 3:15pm) at the pass before following our tracks back to camp. The trail breaking was easy and the downhill runs were excellent with some new snow on the surprisingly firm base. We saw no ski tracks leading to the lodge or the Naiset Cabins. One of my cables broke on the way back but I still had the 3 pin binding for keeping the boot and ski attached. Back at camp, I dug a kitchen facing Mount Assiniboine. Cooked supper of soup and ham and couscous with more peppers and spinach, jello for dessert. We watched the cloud come and go over Mount Assiniboine then the bright moonlight lit up the east side of the peak then our campsite. The temperature again dropped quickly to around -12C (10F) in the early evening.

30th January:

Another clear morning, -20C (-4F)and not a cloud on Assiniboine. After breakfast we headed north through some meadows then skied up a valley towards Og Pass. A fine sunny day with little wind and good views of all the surrounding peaks. We climbed a small ridge west of the pass and had some early lunch before heading on east to the east side of Og Pass in order to get the view SE down Bryant Creek. We then headed back over the pass and then headed for the bottom of the NW ridge of nearby Cave Mountain. Gail decided to sit in the sunshine at 7500’ while I headed up the 8700’+ peak. The sun was shining directly on the steep slope I first ascended and the snow was isothermal but only for a very short section luckily. The ski with only the 3 pin binding (no cable) came off a couple of times here adding to my difficulties! Above this the slope lessened and the snow was firmer. I went up to the 8150’ level on skis before going the rest of the way on foot due to mixed rock and snow terrain. I reached the summit at 3pm, the view in all directions was magnificent. However there was now a cool north wind blowing so I sheltered on the south side of the summit cairn for a while to admire the view and eat. After half an hour at the top I headed back down, descending the steeper isothermal section on foot. We then had a fine ski descent back to Og Creek and so back to camp by about 5:30 pm. The temperature again dropped quickly to be about -16C (4F) by 7:00 pm. Soup, ham, turkey stuffing and more dried veg for supper and some more of those broken chocolate bars for dessert. Again we had a fine moonlit evening.

31st January

Up at about 7:30, another clear morning, temperature -18C (0F)and away at 9:00. We headed back towards Mount Assiniboine Lodge then just before we got there we went SW across a small valley then up to a meadow on the north side of Magog Lake. Here we saw the classic view of Mt Assiniboine. We then headed west then NW following up a valley towards Nub Peak. We then gained the ridge to the west and overlooked Cerulean and Sunburst Lakes and looked almost due South to Mt Assiniboine. After some early lunch we then headed ENE then NE near treeline. Gail decided to sit and admire the view while I explored further north into the basin east of Nub Peak. From the north side of the basin I could see most of the route we took yesterday. At 2:30 it started to snow. I returned to Gail and we followed our tracks back to the valley. We had a great run down the valley to the meadow, and then, despite the weather, we put our skins back on and returned to the top of the valley to have another run. On the way back to camp the weather cleared a bit, but the snowfall resumed as we cooked supper of soup, tuna and mashed potatoes with veg and the last of the broken chocolate bars. To the tent by 8:30 pm.

1st February:

The alarm went off at 6:00 and we got up. It was a warm morning -9C (15F). We had breakfast bars and a hot drink from the thermos for breakfast and then packed up. The light snow fall ended just before we set off on the 23km (14.5 miles) return trip to the car at 7:40. We skied back to the meadow immediately west of Assiniboine Pass. It felt a lot colder and a look at the thermometer confirmed that - now -20C (-4F). I put on skins for the ascent to the pass. We then carefully negotiated the steep downhill section before having a pleasant run down the rest of the trail to the Bryant Creek valley. It felt much warmer in the sunshine as we skied back down the valley to the warden cabin. We had a lunch break at the top of the hill after passing Bryant Creek Shelter turnoff. Good views WSW to Aye Mt, Lunette and Assiniboine. Gail, on her single cambered skis, struggled more on the short uphill sections than I did on the way down the lower part of the Bryant Creek valley. I even managed to get up the hill after crossing the Spray River without needing skins. We met 2 oriental ladies heading in towards the cabin then a few snowshoers out for a short trip when we were almost at the car. The temperature was down to -16C (4F) in the shade before reaching the car at 3:15 pm. An uneventful drive back to Calgary by 5:45 pm. I made it out to the AGM meeting I planned to attend by 7 pm and cake was served as promised. 

Alistair
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