Traverse Lite: Bow Hut to Little Yoho, 4/4-4/11

After successfully completing the Bugaboos to Rogers Pass ski traverse, the last thing Mark Price and I wanted was another stressfull thrash through the Selkirks.  Long days of travel, route finding, worring about the weather, the snow pack but worst of all, trudging past fantastic terrain because of the schedule.  Nope, we are smart guys and we learn from our experiences--sometimes.

Traverse Lite:  More skiing, less suffering....

But first, the storm from early April has deposited a foot of powder so we delay our intended start at Bow Summit for a day of picking low hanging fruit at the Pass.  And what a day it was.....super stable conditions and the snow is fantastic.  We ski runs at Lookout Col, down to the upper Illi Neve, Forever Young Coulior and a final long run down from the headwall of Young's peak to the mousetrap in the evening.  9 k of outstanding shralping.....The kind of day that causes sleepless nights waiting for the snow to fly in October.  All in the company of fine companions.

Our traverse was an unconventional hybred of the classic Wapta and the Bow Hut to Little Yoho traverse.  Two days at Bow Hut, a night at the Balfour Hut and three days in the Little Yoho Valley at the Stanley Mitchell Hut.  No climbing, rappelling, bootpacking or pouring over maps and GPS trying to figure out the route ahead.  Just maximum skiing in a spectacular setting.

Mark brought his friend Paul from Bozeman and Alan decides that the trip will be worth taking nine lbs. of camera gear along so he joins us as well.

The trip went as planned; we didn't get lost, we skied a lot of powder and brilliant corn, and there were no injuries or lost gear.  (Yes, there is a story there). 

Pictures here and descriptions here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/GreggCronn/TraverseLightBowToStanleyMitchell?authkey=Gv1sRgCMeY5sj9zP7meA#