BC Coast Mountains mega report (part 3 of 3)

 

My 3rd and final visit started on the heels of a major atmospheric river + big warmup, and finished with a series of colder storms that dumped many feet of snow in the mountains. By this point Pemberton and the Duffey were starting to feel like home, and I really had to put my knowledge of the area to the test in order to nail down some tours that would be both worthwhile and safe. Many of the objectives that remained on my list were not appropriate for the conditions. Fortunately I had a few tricks up my sleeve and was pretty successful at matching second-tier objectives to second-tier days. A few needles were threaded on the rare days when bigger lines were in play. Highlights as follows...

Steep Peak-Darkside Peak linkup: this was one of the best days of the season. I had visited this area a couple times already but still had two lines remaining that I really wanted to ski - the N face of Steep Peak from the true summit, and the W Face of Darkside Peak. They sit right next to each other so it made sense to link them, and both held phenomenal snow from the summits all the way down to Darkside Lake. It was overcast all morning but the sun poked through just as I summitted Darkside Peak and was getting ready to drop in - what a gift!

 

Slalok N Face ("Stonecrop Face"): Of the three big peaks that make up the Matier Glacier cirque, there's a reason I left Slalok for last - it can be skied in a wider variety of conditions than Joffre and Matier, and it has a safe(ish) ascent route. By the time I got around to Slalok the combination of wind, sun, and freezing fog had done a number on the snowpack, and minimal soft snow remained. But travel conditions were great, it was a beautiful day in the alpine, and I was there to ski, so I pressed on to the summit and enjoyed making big GS turns in firm snow for the >1000m direct descent to Upper Joffre Lake.

 

Cayoosh SE Couloir & SE Face: Lingering instability on polar aspects gave me a reason to prioritize a few south-facing lines on Cayoosh that I'd been eyeing earlier in the season. You know it's going to be good when you find yourself crotch-deep in cold, dry snow while climbing a south-facing couloir. Note to self: do it top down next time.

 

 

Joffre Peak north basin: This was more of an exploratory mission to scout some complicated lines that I'm interested in skiing in the future. Of all the awesome mountains in this area, I think Joffre is my favorite. Not only was it the first big line that I skied in the Duffey, but it looks so impressive from every angle. The fact that there are only a few ways up and down through those huge granite walls, none of which are particularly easy, only adds to the appeal.  

 

Blackcomb Peak/DOA: had to do it.