We woke early, packed quickly and skied down to the bottom of the valley. From there, we hiked as high as we thought necessary before traversing to the Mineral-Easy col.
Jason skiing down from Perfect Pass.
Jason traversing one of several long
slopes on our way to the Mineral-Easy col.
Pleasant skiing on our way to the
Mineral-Easy col.
Jason skiing above Easy Creek. We skied to
the boulders on the left, crossed the creek in the timber and traversed to the
climber's trail. Miraculously avoiding many unnerving obstacles although it's
doubtful that we saved time versus the standard Easy Ridge descent.
A sliver of snow offered access to a large avy/snowfield that ended in boulders and brush. We proceeded to get bushed following Easy Creek until things looked perilous at which point we crossed to the other side near a creek that entered from the east. Knowing a climber’s path was nearby we traversed the slope until we met the trail. If I made that sound easy then maybe I should add a few more adjectives. Instead, I think I will leave it to your imagination.
Beckey would be proud. Jason discovering
new territory at the head of Easy Creek.
Note: The top portion of his bases should
be white.
Jason crossing Easy Creek.
Jason on the climber's trail near the
Chilliwack River.
The cold water of the Chilliwack cleaned the spider webs off and numbed the numerous wounds. After an hour of rest, boots were packed and bare feet met cold water. Ben implemented the slow approach while I moved as fast as I was capable. Once on the far side Ben slipped on shoes while I slipped on my boot liners. A nice trail led the way to Hannegan Pass. The only thing of interest we passed was a squatter camp full of garbage. There was a flashlight that must’ve weighted 5lbs, a stove that was at least twice that along with a hundred matches, a tarp, and corduroy pants. Obviously not very mountain savvy since they had a camp in the middle of the trail, which was far from being the flattest spot around.
Jason crossing the Chilliwack with Ruth
Mountain in the distance.
Snow and civilization seemed ever so close as we spotted people. A quick ski ended again at the trail where one of the skiers noticed Ben’s white skis from a recent TR on the Price Glacier. After a short chat we hightailed down the trail chased by the sun and bugs finally reaching the car as shadow preyed down. A great trip ended in relief, rewards and a resolve to return to ski Mount Fury. Ben and I left more than content even more than pleased. We didn’t realize it then but dreams do come true.
Once back at work, I returned with a grin on my face and when asked what I did I thought, well, I went skiing, but I didn’t want to open that can of worms. "I just went camping. Did you do anything exciting?"
*Stay tuned for Jason's photos (as if these weren't enough).