Rogers Pass

A mecca of ski touring!

Situated about halfway between Golden and Revelstoke, this is a dream come true for ski tourers (as long as avalanche conditions are safe). Access to the most popular trails go pretty much straight up from the road (so there isn't much in the way of rolling terrain) and with 10 to 15 metres of snow per year, the season starts early and ends late.

I had been to the area in the summer, and everywhere I went, I could see the potential for touring. It was only a matter of time before I'd be here to ski the slopes.

Macdonald West prohibited area, from the Discovery Centre parking lot

Our first day was more of a familiarization day with the area. Akemi and I did not have Winter Permits (which are required to ski most of the popular slopes around Rogers Pass), so we went on one of the few unrestricted trails, up Connaught Creek to Balu Pass.

Crossing Connaught Creek

We did not make it all the way to the pass, as snow and wind made us question the stability of the snowpack. Halfway up, we decided to turn around and ski some of the glades that we had passed. We saw several groups turn around nearby (or even earlier), so that reinforced our decision.

Simply divine

The snow had some wind crust further in, but near the road it was pure powder (and lots of it).

Balu Pass

In the afternoon, we went to the Discovery Centre and both got our Winter Permits after writing an exam pertaining to the permit system at Rogers Pass.

On the second day, we decided we wanted to try NRC Gully, a short but steep area just across the valley.

Macdonald West Shoulder 4

From the road, the slopes off of Macdonald West were impressive (see first photo); but from the actual slopes, they were jaw dropping. 200 metres wide and 460 metres high, the bench above Macdonald West Shoulder 4 gave us a view of an incredibly large and exposed avalanche slope, which on good days provides fantastic low-commitment skiing close to the road.

Above the bench, up to the ridge

It was a slog getting up to the bench, so we didn't do much in the way of side trips, although we did skin back up part of the slopes after coming down most of the way.

Afterward, Akemi and I skied down a gully reminiscent of the ski-out at Burstall Pass, while Joanne and Ian skied the open slopes again.

The guilty party rushes away from the scene of the crime

NRC Gully

After two days, it was time to head back home. Our timing worked out very well, as avalanche conditions had been increasing steadily while we were there, and the tipping point occurred about a day later when natural slides started releasing all around the area (and as far east as Lake Louise, 2 hours away).