Matier, Matier Glacier, Joffre Lakes – May 25, 2012

[LeeLau]

Thought the season was over. More

Weather came through

It’s 4:20am May 25th. My effing cell phone alarm clock apparently doesn’t work and I bolt upright as Sharon kicks me out of bed “Shouldn’t you be meeting someone right now”. I should be. Vince Shuley’s text burns on the screen “Where are you now”. Address is texted back; 5 minutes later he’s there and I’m dressed and bleary-eyed on the way to the Duffey to scratch a high-alpine pitch.

1200m elevation to 2783m takes a bit of time so we had nice moments wandering through broken up patches of snow, lateral moraine, plodding up the Anniversary Glacier and cramponing up rime and sastrugi. We moved at mellow ramble speed; trailhead 6ish, Anniversary Col 11ish; Matier at 12:30 or so. Clouds and wind (oh what wind which had been blowing at mach looney speeds in the morning) backed off and sun became the dominant feature. Basically we had timed the ski down perfectly and the turns were magnificently satisfying. By the bottom as we rocketed off the slope on to the Matier Glacier the snow was already sticky in the intense heat so we bagged the plan to enchain Slalok.

Skied out via the Matier Glacier, slaloming convincingly large serac falls that had plowed deep furrows into snow and wet slide releases that moved soooo slow. The Third Joffre Lake looked marginal so I became the sacrificial plumb line skiing pretty much right across it. The Second Joffre Lake looked even less confidence-inspiring with Dan and I basically water-skiing most of it while trying to think light thoughts. We hiked around the First Joffre Lake and out to finish up at around 4.30 – stinky but dry.

[ODHGABFE]

Looks like a great day, as yours usually do. Thanks for the endless stoke.

[tone capone]

Looks so nice and velvety.

[DanCudlip]

Thanks Lee for the great video and write up. Here is my album from the day.
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?s...3&l=47e0d3f7f7

[moose pit]

are't you in utard?
prick.

welll done, I tost you with beernumber more than several.

[neck beard]

Does it ever stop looking a bit like winter there?

[spook]

gorgeous

[sqikunst]

There is still snow in Europe but damn it holds soo good for soo long over there. That is insane!!

Also full of win

[_Aaron_]

Score!!!!!!

[lynchdogger]

Beauty . . .

[saxon]

Very nice.

[postman22]

Very nice.

nice going lee

[grubbers]

Good stuff. Spent a couple nights at Keith's Hut at the beginning of the month, beautiful area. We didn't get into the alpine due to avy conditions and lack of visibility, but we did get about 8" of pow on May 1st.

[D(C)]

Pretty sweet trip!

What were the logistics? Did you leave a car at Joffre Lakes parking and shuttle back to Cerise parking at the end of the day?

How far up the Cerise trail before you were skinning?

Was the snow climb up Matier puckering?

[LeeLau]

i skinned from the first bridge but see the video for an idea of conditions which were patchy. One car in Joff Lakes one car in Cerise.

[skier666]

Loving this pic...

[Ottime]

^^^yup.

loving the spring time stoke around here. better trs going right now than most of the winter.

[buckethead]

wow absolutely incredible on all parts!

[hutash]

Wow, that is better coverage then we had all season in the Sierra.

Nice pics

[Huck_Schmuck]

I actually have coffee on / in my keyboard. "I can't believe they followed the one eyed China man..."

Great TR. Spring brings the stoke...

[Neuro]

Nice Pics guys. Glad to see you guys are still bringing the stoke.