On the way back from Crowfoot Pass the day before, we noticed some sloughs off of the southeast face of Fairview Mountain. Sloughs are very common this time of year, as the afternoon sun (and corresponding rise in temperature) causes loose, wet slides to occur. However, what was more concerning was that it was a dirty slide, in that there was dirt and debris in the mix. This meant that the sloughs were going all the way down to the ground. The story this season has been a persistent weak basal layer, and slides that have been hitting this layer have been very large and destructive.
In addition, the avalanche forecast for the Banff area was heightened due to weather concerns, so we decided to play things safe (and close) by heading towards Mount Sparrowhawk. Unfortunately, the Smith Dorrien gate just south of the Canmore Nordic Center was closed due to avalanche. Strike two! Sadly, we saw beautiful blue skies just past Whiteman's Gap. So close, yet so far.
Russ had never been to Taylor Lake, and as it is a very safe place, we decided to give it a try instead.
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| Mountain men don't need fancy carbon fibre titanium ultralight ski poles |
The ski up the gully was a slog, as usual. Big, wet snowflakes were falling the entire time, collecting on our skis and making everything wet and heavy. Visibility was also fairly poor, so we decided fairly early on not to try for Panorama Ridge. What we did do, however, was get to Taylor Lake itself, which curiously enough I had never seen before. It was something new for both of us.
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| Taylor Lake |
The ski down was a thigh burner, as usual, and we were soaking wet by the time we got back to the car. Here's to hoping for a bit more sun to enjoy the last ski days of the season.
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