TR: BC and AB

[cloud cult]

Day 1:

Kissed the Cloud Cultette goodbye, took Little Cloud cult to school, packed the truck, went to the bank, stocked up at Wal Mart, swung by REI, and hit the road by 11:30. By 5:30 I was stuck in traffic on I-5 in Seattle, and by 10:30 I had been released from secondary holding at the Peace Arch border crossing. By 1:30 I had paid the most I have ever paid for gas -- C$1.17 a liter -- and pulled on to a forest road. I got one last bit of 4G and checked the weather ahead:

Screenshot_2016-01-04-11-35-58-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

Burritos for dinner. Slept in the back of the truck.

Day 2:

Up to light snow. Drover over Cayoosh Pass a few times trying to get my bearings. Skinned up to Upper Joffre Lake along with two German-speaking Swiss living out of a Chevy Astro van. There had been a break in the weather but now it turned again, blowing and snowing above treeline, so I made tree runs above the lake and returned to the truck. Made a loop on XC skis around Lower Joffre in the twilight. Burritos for dinner. Slept in the back of the truck.

20160105_124533-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

Day 3:

Up to a bit of new snow but it looked like the skies would clear. Skinned up Cerise Creek, following the advice of the German-Swiss, to an overlook of the Twin One Glacier.

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Laps below the overlook.

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Skied over to the Keith Hut, which was surprisingly nice. Stayed too long in the too-warm hut and nearly fell asleep. Skinned back out and made a run along the toe of the Anniversary Glacier before heading back to the truck.

20160106_164544-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

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Burritos for dinner. Slept in the back.

Day 4:

Up to clearing skies but low clouds on the horizon. Looking for something easy, skinned Rohr Ridge and skied Rocky Horror Powder Show. I wanted to ski into the north facing bowl but the light was too flat and I could not figure out the entry.

20160107_130954-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

Drove to Lillooet, checked email, gassed up, and hit decision time: the plan all along had been to go to Terrace, but it seemed impossibly remote and far away; the alternate was to cut across to Jasper. But gas was cheap and I was feeling good, and I knew I'd regret skipping Terrace, so north it was. Pulled into Prince George at midnight to light snow and -14; pulled into a rest area west of town by 1. Burritos for dinner; slept in the back of the truck.

Day 5:

Up at 7 to fog and -17. While the truck was warming up I ran into the bathroom and found what is apparently the only rest area in BC which was heated and with running water. I scoured the sink, shaved, and washed my hair. Renewed! Brekkie in Smithers and pulled into Hankin-Evelyn near noon. Skinned up Run 4 and was surprised to find a hut at treeline, empty but warm from a smoldering fire. Got too warm again but eventually headed back out and climbed nearly to the summit of what I took to me Mt. Hankin.

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Spectacular.

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Back to the truck. I lived on constant fear of accidentally brushing up against it.

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Drove to the outskirts of Terrace. Burritos for dinner. Slept in the truck. Finished reading The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri.

Day 6:

Up to Shames. Skinned through beautiful old growth coastal forest to Cornice Ridge. Stopped to pee behind a rock at treeline and nearly stumbled on a wolverine. Climbed to the summit but dropping north into the bowl was again hampered by low lights; it had now begun to snow moderately.

20160110_123726-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

Skied two at treeline then back to the truck. In twilight XC skied into Valley of Certain Doom.

Pulled into the Shames parking lot. Burritos for dinner. Slept in the back of the truck.

Day 7:

Heavy snow in the evening ended early; up to just a few inches. Bought a one-ride ticket at Shames and toured up to the Dome. Had wanted to skirt the ridge westward but the low light again made navigation difficult. Farmed Geronimo Bowl instead.

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Skied until nearly sunset.

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Burritos for dinner, then the couple from Price Rupert in the camper next to me invited me in for a Pillie. Slept in the back of the truck.

Day 8:

Up to clear skies and could finally take in the wonder of the landscape here.

20160111_114809-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

The Price Rupertians invited me in for coffee and brekkie and I ate four of their sausage and egg sandwiches. Bought another one-way ticket and scooted up the Dome, but clouds had quickly piled on and the light was flat again. Made three excellent runs in Zymacord before skiing back to the truck.

20160111_134832-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

I met two patrollers at the top of the t-bar who said a big storm was rolling in, but the forecast I saw called for rising snow levels. I like ends of the road, and am fascinated with the small places that seem to hold on to the edges of continents, and at this point felt like I simply could have kept driving forever, but at some point rationality takes over and you have to turn around and start back.

Hard to believe I could be in Alaska in 2.5 hours.

20160111_173812-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

Zipped through Terrace, gassed up in Smithers, washed my hair and shaved again at that magical, wonderful rest area, and bought the cheapest gas of the trip -- C$.87 a liter -- in PG before pulling into the parking lot of Purden at around 2 a.m. Burritos for dinner. Slept in the back of the truck.

[cloud cult]

Day 9:

Up at 7 and chatted with the mountain manager, who was lamenting the lack of snow. Gassed up again in windy McBride and followed the Yellowhead into Jasper. Got beta from a ski shop and drove out to Maligne, where I skied two laps in Opal Hills at treeline. In the twilight XC skied across Maligne Lake.

20160112_165259-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

Drove back to Jasper. The last few days whenever I crawl into my sleeping bag in the back of the truck I've noticed a strange smell -- something like a mix of motor oil and freshly turned earth. Realized today that smell was me. Jumped on Hotwire and got a 2.5 star hotel for US$48 -- the Lobstick. Pulled everything out of the truck and let it air out in the room; the sleeping bags in particular were accumulating a lot of ice on the outside. Big pizza for dinner. Finished reading Panic, by Lauren Oliver. Watched lame Canadian TV with the room's heat turned up.

Day 10:

Packed, stocked up on groceries, and called the Cloud Cultette. "We can't wait for you to get home in a few days" she said. I looked at my watch. I had a flight early on Tuesday morning that could not be changed. It was time to stop fucking around and get after things. Drove the Icefields south to Sunwapta.

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Skinned Parker Ridge, which was poor, and Hilda Ridge, which was OK, and in the evening XC skied partway up Nigel Pass.

20160113_125941-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

Pasta for dinner. Slept in the back of the truck, which now smells much better.

Day 11:

Up at 7 to a few inches of new snow and skinned up the Nigel Pass road to the first avalanche path. Topped out in an hour. Had one of the best runs of the season -- 1500 vert of pure turns and boot-top pow in blinding sun. Drove a few miles south and found an avalanche path on the west side of the Icefields across from Cirrus Mountain -- insanely good skiing. Made two runs. XC skied across Waterfowl Lake in the evening.

20160114_162930-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr

Pasta for dinner. Slept in the back of the truck.

Day 12:

Clear skies and -12. Skied Bow Summit, which was not great, then a run at treeline on the east side of the pass.

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Drove a few miles south and skied two good runs at treeline on what I think is called Dolomite.

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Ramen for dinner. Slept in the back of the truck.

Day 13:

Clouding skies and light snow. Skied glades and treeline areas across from Crowfoot Glacier, then a similar run a few miles south someone told me was called "South Dolomite". Who knows.

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It was all beautiful and it was all running together. Often, at the end of great trips, I get nostalgic for the trip before it's even over, so for a while I sat on the tailgate, drinking beer and smoking and trying to take in the beauty of the place and the special solitude that only comes from being far, far away from your wife and four-year old. Drove to Lake Louise, which as expected was a clusterfuck of city types in expensive boots and ridiculous jackets, and XC skied nearly to the end of the lake in dark skies and heavy snow. Too busy here to camp, so drove to Mosquito Creek to park. Pasta for dinner. Slept in the back of the truck.

Day 14:

Up to heavy snow and about 8 inches of new overnight. Gassed up in Lake Louise and drove into Kootenay National Park. Pulled into the Stanley Glacier parking lot just as two Calgarians were locking themselves out of their minivan. Left them with two non-frozen American beers as they flagged down a passing plow and in light snow and flat light skied two spectacular runs on the north side of the road. Back to to the truck and the Calgarians are still there and still locked out. Drive one back up the pass to cell range and hang out while he arranges for someone to come help. Drop him back at Stanley Glacier and head to Radium. Stop in Cranbrook to gas up and get some Okanagan reds, which with the loonie at 68 cents are suddenly "affordable". The American at Roosville waves me through the border even though the truck at this point probably requires an environmental impact statement and I have again begun to smell like motor oil and tilled garden soil. Wonderful cheap gas in Eureka, wonderful cheap fast food in Kalispell, and pull into my driveway at 9 p.m. Joyous reunion with the Cloud Cultette. Little Cloud Cult is asleep, but I'll get to deal with him in the morning.

[::: :::]

Nice, thanks for sharing!

[rudy]

You really like burritos, eh? Looks like quite the adventure.

[moose pit]

The Arctic outflow was cold, but the inversion was nice. Great pics.

[Marshall Tucker]

porter!

[huckbucket]

20160115_123503-01 by redpinecanyon, on Flickr
.

That there is really something. I too could stare at that for a while.

[meter-man]

This TR is gold. The nostalgia line is right on. Good on ya for the big adventure, and the awesome writing.

[klar]

Great TR. Awesome scenery. Thanks for letting us know about dinner.

[406]

Nice tr, sleeping in the back of a truck in -18 sounds cold.

[steff]

Great adventure. Nice photos.

"smelling like motor oil and freshly tilled soil"

[garyfromterrace]

Fuck.
Yeah.
Great TR man. Damn, you got at er and skied some stuff! Glad you could hit some runs in my old zone.

[LeeLau]

Beauty!

[ClarkleberryFinn]

Rad!

[LightRanger]

This is one of my favorite TRs I've read here. Bravo dude. Thank you.

[bigasshair]

Great road warrior trip and read. Have you considered a new ID? Burrito Addict or Burrito Lover?
Lake Louise/Kootenay/Cayoosh-way jaw-dropping scenery and skiing in a mountain paradise.
Scenery pics top notch. Definitely challenging driving conditions....great fun if you like to drive and the wildlife/weather co-operate. (Nothing like seeing the back end of a bull elk at the last minute in a blizzard or racing moose along the highway)
I'll bet you pulled your dick back into your pants lightning-like with a wolverine within pissing distance.
Perhaps you were saved from a man-meat savaging by your 'tilled earth and motor oil' scent or you sharted a burrito?
Sounds like you'll be on the road again soon with more road/BC warrior tales. Happy trails.