| Park at Quartz
Creek parking lot on the south side of highway 1, 768035. Sled or hike
the Quartz Creek FSR for about 4 kilometers to an obvious cutblock
after an S-turn, 753997. Follow the secondary road ascending the
cutblock, it may not be packed down in winter. Aim for the treed
south-west ridge of Dg17, climber's right of the V-shaped west facing
avalanche gully. Continue along the ridge to treeline; an easy hike
leads to the top. ** This direct route is mainly for winter ** In the
summer, it is possible the ascend Dg17 from the lower Quartz Lake,
via the southern slopes. |
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Easy 4-kilometer
access on the snowmobile. |
Snowshoe trip. RT 8:0;
5.0 up (from the sled). Considerable avalanche hazard has kept us from
going
backcountry skiing for a while... We've made an effort to get out and
have been turned around by: suspect slopes on one trip, unattainable
goal on another, stormy weather and dangerous roads on yet another;
honestly, I wasn't expecting much more than exercise above the valley
cloud on this trip. We invited Charles for the jaunt. We decided to use
a snowmobile for the approach on the groomed snowmobile trail; this
dramatically cut time and preserved energy for the height gain
ahead. The ridge is straightforward but steep at times. We lucked out,
the
forest wasn't choked with brush and snowshoeing conditions had
improved, allowing only boot top penetration through the
mid-pack for most part. We split the lead often and made good time; I
started to feel optimistic! Near treeline, Charles decided to hang
back, make a fire and enjoy the sun; given the spring-like weather, we
weren't worried and continued. Above treeline, the terrain was etched
by wind; the snow was hard and pleasant to walk on. Although it was a
bit windy, I could feel the warmth of the sun; this leg of the trip was
especially rewarding. We stayed at the top briefly before returning to
join Charles. He had a nice fire going when we arrived; we ate and took
advantage of this luxury. Our descent to the sled was quick; the ride
to the car was even quicker!
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We're aiming for the
south-west ridge (far right). |
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Typical terrain, not
too bushy. |
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With bearable
snowshoeing conditions, we were able to push to treeline. |
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Breaking out of the
trees, we can feel the warmth of the sun. |
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Looking back. |
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The wind-sculpted
snow is hard as ciment! |
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Mount Sir Donald
(left center) and Hermit Mountain (far right). |
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Summit ridge. |
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Last steps to the
top. |
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Donald (left) and
Oldman Peaks in the background. |
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First summit of 2014! |
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Valley cloud over
Kinbasket Lake. |
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Looking towards
Rogers Pass again. |
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Fab is sitting on a
pile of heli markers. |
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Leaving the top. |
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More valley cloud
east of us. |
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Hermit, Swiss and
Rogers in the background. |
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Back at treeline. |
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On the snowshoes
again. |
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Charles was busy and
warm while we were gone. |
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The beautiful sea of
cloud down the valley. |
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Back at the sled. |
| Back
to home page |
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