Alpine Soft: Fairview/Saddle Mountain Col

Saturday March 16 John and I had big hopes to get a big objective before the snowpack went nuclear with the coming heat wave, in the end we were conservative and changed plans midday and picked a safer and smaller trip. Plan A was Mount Patterson. I had read all the available beta and thought conditions would allow a great day on this great mountain. The most hazardous section, where you take off your skis and boot pack it up a steep snow slope to avoid a vertical canyon in the creek valley, was, in the end, where we bailed based on concern over snow stability.

Things started great, blue bird start to the day, but the forecast (which held true) called for high clouds later in the day that would help to block the sun and keep the snow from heating up. We parked just north of Bow Summit, as Chic’s guidebook describes, and happily found a well packed in ski track. The trail was a combination of snowshoe and ski tracks had seen action within the last few days and provided easy and efficient travel to the canyon in Delta Creek. Pleasant trip with minor tree branch interference and great views nearing the canyon of Delta Creek.

Nearing Delta Creek

Great packed ski track right from the highway parking spot.

View to Delta Creek with Mt. Patterson on the right.

One easy water crossing

Flats nearing Delta Creek

We arrived at the first crux section in the narrow valley about one hour from the car. From the creek bed looking up I thought, no problem, and was keen to blast up. Well the slope faces northeast and turned out to be super wind loaded and steep! The avalanche forecast warned that the previous days had strong southwest winds (bringing the warm weather) and north to east slopes needed caution. Well the upper slope was super wind loaded. I climbed up a rock rib to avoid the snow slope, but to exit the slope onto the upper creek bed, above the canyon, required a traverse of the scary slope. As well, it was not apparent if there were more iffy snow slopes above, and we were worried a warm day would make the descent dangerous at this section. After wasting some time trying to find a safer line, we were safe and bailed.

Creek bed beginning to narrow, getting close to canyon.

Time to take off skis. The snow low down was rock hard, had to work to get steps.

John making some nice steps for me.

John bailed off the deep loaded upper slope, I tried to climb some steep rocks steps to avoid the snow.
Eventually the rock ribs ended and I had to traverse a steep side slope of loaded snow.
Decided to bail at this point.

Exit off rock ribs. Up valley could not see if additional loaded slopes would be encountered.

Super quick ski back to the car. Originally our Plan B was Cirque Peak, but when we arrived at the parking area, it was full. We reviewed the distance and height gain to Cirque Peak summit, 1100 metres and about 12 km. Since it was nearly 1 pm, we thought it was too late in the day to attempt this trip. John suggested we skin up to the Fairview/Saddle Mountain col at Lake Louise and get in some turns.

Turned out to be a great idea, we arrived at the upper Lake Louise parking lot about 2pm. Once out of the crazy tourist zone, we had a great workout skinning about 600 metres up to the col. Great views to Mt. Temple and across the Bow Valley to summits around Skoki. We skied down an avalanche slope near the col back to lower valley and quick ski back to the car on well packed trail, back about 5pm. Great second cardio workout of the day and some fun turns; well worth celebrating with a beer in Canmore.

John leading a short section where left the main uptrack.
Tourons were walking up the uptrack and busting it up bad, got worse higher up.
Trail breaking was better than a pot holed walker made mess.