Thanks to low precipitation, warming and re-freezing, Alberta ski season is off to a slow start. Nevertheless, I’ve managed to bag five days of half-decent skiing by early November, plus a wildly exciting lesson in rappelling.
Robertson Glacier for my birthday in September was pretty fantastic, albeit a little rainy:
Robertson Glacier, Kananaskis
Late September brought the thrilling opportunity to learn how to rappel. On a glacier. Into a crevasse. Yes – it was absolutely as exciting as it sounds!
First time rappelling! Feeling “terrified” and “giddy” — “terrigiddy”??? Anyway, this is the moment you find out how much you trust yourself.
In October the snow started falling and I snagged a few more fantastic days:
Cool lighting in Highwood Pass. Not exactly a powder day, but some turns are better than none, right?
Bur first, let me take a selfie.
The next day we took things to Rae Glacier to check out conditions without expecting much. It was super rocky, terrifying skiing, but the view is superb:
Elbow Valley from on the glacier. Note the rocks.
And then it was Halloween. Naturally, one has to indulge in the holiday spirit. As a phantom, I traveled to the Icefields with my best gargoyle and alien friends:
Finally, my most recent ski trip brought me back to Rae Glacier, in an attempt to get first tracks on a powder day. With a bit of winter camping the we got the “first tracks” but a melt-refreeze layer and barely any new snow killed our “powder” dreams.
Happy bagging.
