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Hi Kim-
I read thru your post with interest because I recently got myself into a similar "crossing the line but not realizing it" situation. Like you, I got out OK, but spent a considerable amount of time afterwards trying to identify the points where errors in our party's judgement had "created" the incident. I also understand that the first little bit after the incident, you're freaked, and maybe even in a little bit of mild post-traumatic shock as you piece it all together and make sense of it.

I think that the biggest error in judgement that I can see in your story is not having the proper equipment. As I read thru it, I was expecting to hear something along the lines of hitting trees, being delayed to the point that lack of food and adequate clothing created a situation with hypothermia, etc. A good rule of thumb is that if you're wearing track gear, at least 80% of your route should be on groomed, set tracks (spring crust skiing notwithstanding). While I totally understand the urge to keep on keeping on on a glorious day, having difficulties with your gear on the way up should translate into a decision at some point that you simply don't have the right tools for the job and should turn around. It does sound like you kept that in mind, as at least you didn't press on to the lake and points further out, and create a situation where you had to ski out in difficult terrain in the dark.

As far as maps, compasses, etc. I'm not sure that carrying (or using these more) would have helped you as much as being totally, continually aware of your surroundings. A map can tell you there's a creek if it occurs to you to look for it; otherwise you're as likely to miss it on the map as anywhere else. It sounds like you had a high level of awareness regarding avalanches; I'd suggest that you extend that to everything else about your surroundings. If you cross a bridge, that obviously means there's water around somewhere- where's the creek. Just keep observing and keeping an inventory of these things. Another example of reading terrain to stay out of trouble: Are the slopes above you made of smooth rock layers? Afternoon glide avalanches off these rocks (which can occur during very "low" avalanche danger relative to normal avalanche triggers) have killed several people in Utah. "Terrain traps" are also something to avoid like the plague-- I normally think of them!
in terms
of getting caught in avalanche runout or debris in one, but after your post, I will think of things like water and falling in holes. By the way, if you're up above timberline in a talus area, a big hole between boulders will mess you up just as much as a hole in a creek-- I have the scar on my shin to prove it.

As far as "was this all this serious? am I over reacting?" Hell, yeah. and Hell, no. a meter of rushing water going under ice is serious business. If you never saw your ski again, where do you think you would go? You were very lucky, not least because you were lucky enough to inadvertently increase your group size to be appropriate for your ski trip.

Should you and your wife ski alone? It depends. On that trail, with that equipment, and in those conditions, and with that particular route choice, I'd say that "no" is a pretty obvious answer. But you could ski alone if you made the mental decision to exercise the "bail" option at a more conservative decision-making point. It sounds like you basically blundered into a bad situation because you thought you were taking everything into account and then found out that you weren't. I know this because I'm relatively fresh from my own experience with this process.

My guarantee: your freak-out level will decrease, and your level of awareness will increase, and you will become a safer skiier. And you will still love the mountains, trees, sky, snow, etc. But you'll probably either restrict your skiing to more "conservative" terrain (fixed tracks and established trails), or get better skis and more experience in that terrain.

by the way-- I strongly suggest (if you're going to go with option B, above), that you take an avalanche class because a) conditions change, and b) visitor center-bound rangers may or may not be good sources of information about avalanches. Also, another error I saw is that for the area and terrain you were in, a shovel, avalanche beacon, and knowledge of how to use the latter would have been a good thing. I've bailed on tours just because I forgot my beacon.


Me wrote:
Near Fatal Ski Incident

Kim Lux
Feb. 21, 2004

Summary

An experienced skier experiences a potentially deadly incident while cross
country skiing. Danger lurks where you least expect it, when you least
expect it. The outdoors are a potentially dangerous place. Lessons
learned are shared at the end of the article. The entire day is discussed
in detail. See if you can spot where errors in judgment were made,
leading to the incident.

Story

My wife and I are experienced cross country/ ski tourers. Since Christmas
we had skied six times for 55 kms on a variety of ski trails: everything
from level track set trails to back country type jaunts. We've been doing
this sort of skiing for 10 years.

I've been trained in avalanche awareness. I've dug snow pits. I've
practiced avalanche receiver rescue, etc. I've been on a multi day back
country/telemark trip. I'm not a telemark pro by any means, but I used to
be able to link some nice turns, both in the back country and on ski
slopes.

I gave up "full on" telemark/back country skiing in recent years, in spite
of loving it. There were 26 people killed in the back country of Western
Canada last year . People with, arguably, as much or more experience and
training than I had. If they could succumb to an avalanche, so could I.
That was a risk I wasn't willing to take.

I changed my/our skiing habits to NOT include anything that had avalanche
risk. We sold our telemark equipment, purchased lighter cross country
equipment and vowed to be content sticking to more moderate/safe trails.
I also gave up telemarking both in the backcountry and at ski slopes for
snowboarding. It was a trade off I was willing to accept.

Our plan for the day was simple: we'd drive out to Lake Louise and spend
the day cross country skiing. My wife liked the sound of some of the
trails in the guide book. She was specifically interested in the "Plain
of Six Glaciers" trail.

The packing and drive to Lake Louise was uneventful.

In order to maximize our chances of finding a good ski trail, we stopped
in at the information center at Lake Louise. Several times we've traveled
to a ski trail only to find the conditions terrible, trail closed, etc. so
our standard practice is to visit information booths wherever possible.
Today was no different.

My wife was the lead decision maker in selecting the ski trail. She had a
trail in mind and I was happy to do whatever she wanted, as long as there
was a bit of challenge involved. I'll ski track set trails if there is
enough scenery/distance/elevation to get a good physical workout. I'll
ski unset trails. I'll ski just about anything. I just love skiing.

We arrived at the visitor's center, which was nearly empty, in spite of
having a very big display of plant/animal/geology information about the
area.

I approached the desk and started talking with a resource officer. My
wife, meanwhile went to the washroom. We chatted idly about ski
conditions in the area, trails we had done, etc. When my wife arrived at
the desk we started discussing potential trails in detail. The resource
officer had a large, detailed topo map under a piece of glass on his
kiosk. My wife stated that we wanted to ski the "Plain of Six Glaciers
Trail." He replied that it was a good choice, ie the scenery would be
nice and the trail condition was good, but that it had some avalanche
risk. It didn't necessarily cross any avalanche prone slopes, but it was
in the run out path of a few such slopes. Although the avalanche hazard
was rated low, the weather was going to be very mild and there was some
risk. We were not carrying transceivers and poles and thus we quickly
ruled out the trail, at least for this trip. Not that they would
necessarily help if you got caught in an avalanche runout ...

The resource officer then suggested a trail that we had already skied this
year: The Great Divide Trail. About 15kms long return, it was track set
and beautiful. We wanted something different.

He then suggested the Moraine Lake Road trail, which was the same as the
Great Divide trail, ie trackset, etc., but going in the opposite
direction. We weren't fussy on skiing track set trails again. We wanted
something that would lead us into a more pristine wilderness environment.

He then suggested the Paradise Valley trail, which was basically an
advanced cross country ski trail. We looked it over on the map and it
seemed pretty good. It lead skiers up a valley behind Lake Louise where
one could see several glaciers, mountain peaks, etc. The elevation gain
was minimal (250m) and very gradual. It followed a creek that fed from
several glaciers in the area. It looked perfect. My wife consulted the
guide book and it rated the trail as moderate.


One had to ski a few kms of the Moraine Lake trail to reach the trailhead
for the Paradise Valley trail. We drove to the Moraine Lake trail parking
lot, which was nearly full.

Our preparation was normal: change into ski clothes, pack the pack, wax
the skis, etc. We carry a small first aid kit, a knife, some extra
clothing (toque, mitts, etc), ski wax, etc.

I carry the pack. I'm a stronger skier than my wife. Although the pack
is fairly light (8 pounds), it would slow her down.

We generally don't carry a map. Today was an exception. My wife was
wearing a small fanny pack and she had a granola bar, map and water bottle
in it. The resource officer had given us a "tourist type" ski trail map
and she had brought it along.

Our issues with carrying and using a map are several. First of all, most
of the ski trails are fairly well marked. What this means is that there
is a sign post at most major intersections. Secondly, there are sometimes
several intersections, formal and in formal, in a small area and it can be
hard to know exactly which intersection you are at. Thirdly, we don't
carry a compass. I've got a great sense of direction. I have helped
people on the trail who have a compass but don't know how to use it find
their position on a map. Lastly, we are frequently skiing in trees, on
mountain sides, etc. where there aren't any sightlines to use a map and
compass.

We'd never been lost on any trip. Sometimes we didn't know exactly where
we were on the trail, but we always knew how to get back to where we
started.

I have a topo map of the Lake Louise area and we looked at it the previous
evening. We actually had an argument about the "Plain of Six Glaciers"
trail and I dug it up to prove my point. The trail skirted Lake Louise.
I was certain I had walked that trail many years ago and that it was a
paved path. I was certain there would be no ski trail, and if there was,
it would be downtrodden by non skiing pedestrians. That was frequently a
problem in Lake Louise, where the tourists are many and those with ski
knowledge were few. (The resource officer told us that there were in fact
two trails: the paved foot path and a real ski trail.)

I had briefly glanced at both the Moraine Lake Road trail and the Paradise
Valley trail the previous evening. I didn't give them any further thought
though.

Back in the parking lot, it was a beautiful day. The sun was shining
brightly. The temperature had warmed to about 0C. There wasn't any wind,
nor a cloud in the sky. It was a perfect day for a ski.

I dressed lightly. I was wearing a pair of medium weight long underwear
under a light nylon shell pant. On my torso I had a long sleeve ski shirt
and a light nylon cycling jacket. I didn't wear anything on my hands,
although I had nylon mitt shells in the pack. I expected the day to warm
up considerably. I've been on ski trails in similar conditions where it
feels like 25C due to the intense sun radiation.

My wife dressed warmer. She was wearing a fleece jacket underneath a
GoreTex shell. I expected her to be too warm and have to shed clothing
along the way.

During our preparation, I noticed another couple pull in to the parking
lot across from us. I happened to glance up and notice that he was
putting on telemark boots and skis, equipped with cable bindings. I
wandered over and struck up a conversation. I asked him if he was going
to be telemarking. He said no, that was just the equipment he was going
to use. I looked at her equipment and saw the more standard fa NNN
boots, narrower skies. They might have had metal edges, but they weren't
for telemarking.

He asked me if I expected to see bears on the trail. Why, I asked. He
pointed out that we had our pepper spray in one of the mesh pouches on the
exterior of the pack. "Maybe it will come in handy if you run into a
disgruntled skier" he chided me. At least we removed the bear bells that
we had on last time we were skiing... It was nice to meet young friendly
skiers like ourselves. Little did I know that later in the day he would
help save my life.

Unlike the guy in the other couple, we were skiing on light equipment. I
have a pair of high end NNN combi boots. They are light and have great
ankle support. My skis were actually racing skis, 44mm wide with a lot of
camber. I waxed them with a big grip pocket. I was a pretty decent skier
and I could (and have) handled a wide variety of terrain with them. I've
often thought that those boots were as stiff and good as my old leather
telemark boots, which I no longer owned. My wife was equipped similarly
to me, but with a lesser quality boot and a wider, more all round ski.

We started out on the Moraine Lake trail. I had decent grip from my wax,
but my glide was a little short. I skied for about 5 minutes and looked
back for my wife, who was about 50 yards behind me. Her glide looked
quite short. Her skis had a considerable buildup of wax in the kick zone.
I ski skated back to her to check things out. She was fine. I was
usually the faster of us on the trail. We then continued on skiing the
Moraine Lake trail.

We skied up to a sign on the side of the road/trail that had a skier and
mountain bike symbol on it. This must be the trail head I thought. The
resource officer had told us there were 2 ways to get onto the Paradise
trail. I thought this was the first one. We stopped to discuss whether
to take this trail or the next one.

Meanwhile, the couple parked across from us in the parking lot skied up.
It turned out that they were going to ski Paradise Valley as well. They
had never skied it before. They thought this wasn't the trail head. They
thought it was farther ahead. We went along with their decision and I
decided that we could follow them.

We set off as an informal group. His female companion was leading the
group with him following her, then me and then my wife. I was surprised
by their speed on the trail, even for him with those wide skis. I could
keep up with my narrow track skis , but I wondered if I would have been
able to if I had wide skies like his. I'm a pretty strong skier. These
people were obviously experienced. My wife lagged behind. We talked as
we skied. The guy worked for Parks Canada as a "computer guy". He wasn't
an accomplished telemarker. He was actually a snowboarder, like I was.
He did backcountry snowboarding, something I've always wanted to try.

At one point on a downhill section I ski skated past the other couple,
turned around ski skated back to my wife. The two of us caught up to the
other couple at the road side trail head for Paradise Valley. They had
their topo map out and were comparing their map with the trail head map,
which was behind a piece of glass on the trail head information board.

I asked them about the trail and they confirmed this was the first trail
entrance point. The previous trail marker was for a different trail. I
found it hard to believe that the two trails wouldn't have joined given
how close they were, but I was happy to know we were at the "right" trail
head. There was still another trail head ahead of us that could be taken.
We decided to take this trail ahead and follow the other couple.

The trail started out with a steep climb between narrowly spaced trees.
The trail was totally skier set as I expected and liked. The initial
climb would have been perfect and easy on wide skis with skins. Being
that none of us had skins, we were side stepping and herring boning our
way up.

The snow was deep. My skis didn't have much flotation. If I stepped off
the packed portion of the trail, I sank shin deep into the snow.

Having done some backcountry skiing I was familiar with maneuvering in
situations like this. As the other couple progressed ahead of me, I
waited for my wife who was having a bit of difficulty in those steep/close
quarters. I secretly worried a bit about how we would ski out of this,
but there were tracks from others who had walked down in the deep snow, so
I thought we would be OK. Besides, the steep section was pretty short.

The trail then became a skier set single track through the forest.
Although it was narrow, the grade was gentle and there weren't very many
turns. There were no sharp turns. Wherever the trail had any steepness
the track was obliterated, worn out by people herring boning up and snow
plowing coming down. I found it manageable, almost easy, even with my
track skis.

I loved the trail. It reminded me of my days as a telemarker. It was
nice to be away from the "crowds" of the easier trails. The trail was
fast, on the verge of icy. Snow plowing with our light equipment was out
of the question, due to our skis and the width of the trail, but simply
running in the less packed part of the trail would slow one down enough to
control ones speed.

We had become separated from the other couple, but now we ran into them on
the trail again. He had his ski up on his shoulder and was applying
kicker wax. He didn't have much grip and asked me what was I was using.
I replied "Special Blue". He was using Extra Blue, if I recall correctly.
That explained some of the speed they had on the trail.

They proceeded on and I waited briefly for my wife to catch up.

For the next hour or so we played a game of cat and mouse with the other
couple. Whenever they stopped we would catch them. The day was sunny and
fairly mild. The trail was good. We were having a good day.

At some point the trail broke out of the forest to a creek in the valley.
There was a bridge that led to a trail on the other side of the creek.
It was there that we met the other couple again. At this point I learned
the guys name was Dale. His companion remarked that "we have to stop
meeting like this".

There was a small family having lunch on the bridge, in the sunshine. I
spoke with them briefly. They asked us how we came out on that side of
the bridge and about the trail we had taken. I told them we just started
at the road side trail head and followed the signs. They were on light
equipment ie the old 3 pin ski "shoes", with sweat pant type clothing. I
warned them that trail was tight and slippery. They had skied in on the
second trailhead, which they told us was open and easy. I made a mental
note that we should ski out on that trail.

The scenery in the valley was spectacular. The valley was about half a
mile wide, framed on both sides by forest, mountains and beautiful blue
sky. I loved skiing and this was why. The fresh air. The physical
exertion. The beautiful scenery. The company of my wife. The smiles.
The beautiful white snow. It was all here. It really was paradise
valley.

The other couple proceeded along the creek in front of us. We took a
quick water break and followed their direction.

The snow was much deeper and softer in the valley. I stopped to take some
pictures and quickly sank to my thighs in the soft snow WITH MY SKIS ON.
This was skiing heaven. I silently cursed not having heavier equipment,
at least wider skis. I should have known better.

We continued on up the valley along the creek for an hour and some. The
trail was open. We almost always had a view of the mountains and the
creek. We continued skiing the trail which traversed back and forth over
the creek and along its edges. We stopped a couple of times to take
pictures.

We could see quite a distance with the openness of the valley. From time
to time I'd catch a glimpse of the couple ahead of us as they skied around
a bluff or over a bridge.

At one point the trail entered a forest and the valley narrowed. The
temperature became very cold. In fact, I was borderline cold for the
whole trip. My nylon shell was too light for these conditions. I had
left my breathable shell jacket in the truck at the trail head. When we
entered the valley, I became quite cold. I didn't stop to don some of the
warmer clothing in my pack, but I did tell my wife I wanted to get out of
the forest and into the sunshine ASAP.

We met a few individuals along the trail. Most of them were the hard core
climbers and skiers. All were wearing wide skies, some were even wearing
mountain touring equipment, heavy plastic climbing boots with lockdown
bindings. One of the things you learn when you hang around mountain
venues like Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, etc. is that there is a WIDE
range of abilities in the climbing/ skiing/hiking/mountain biking world.
At one point we came upon the other couple again. Dale was talking with
a guy equipped with a big pack and wide skis. He'd just spent 3 days in
the backcountry skiing and climbing.

I kept a sharp eye out for avalanche hazards as we skied through the
forest. In particular the resource officer had warned us that we would be
crossing avalanche runout paths. He wasn't lying. In several sections of
the forest the trees were delimbed on the uphill side and whole sections
of forest were missing or replaced by young, small trees. The resource
officer had stated that the avalanche hazard was low and that a runout big
enough to reach the trail wouldn't occur this year because there simply
wasn't enough snow. I made sure that we didn't linger in the runout
zones.

At some point the trail broke out of the forest into a simply spectacular
segment of the valley. The sunshine was bright. The air temperature here
had warmed. The scenery was outstanding. We decided to stop for lunch.
At this point we were about 6 or 7 kms from the trail head parking lot.
We weren't at our ultimate destination in the valley, that being Lake
Annette, but this would do for now.

I was hungry. I was also still cold. I donned a warm toque and my nylon
mitt shells and started to warm up. We dug out our lunch and proceeded to
eat. My wife removed here skis and sat on them. I kept my skis on.

My wife remarked that we should get some heavier ski equipment again.

After lunch we dug out the camera and proceeded to take about 20 pictures
of the creek and the view. We were in paradise . We might as well
capture some of it for our picture collection. We skied back and forth
around and over the creek taking pictures from various angles of various
scenes. We discussed proceeding to Lake Annette and decided to forgo it.
At one point we thought we had passed it just before re entering the
forest. One never knows exactly what constitutes a lake in the mountains.
I've seen some ridiculously small bodies of water termed a lake.

We haphazardly decided to take a different return route. Instead of
skiing back in the forest, we followed a set of ski tracks along the
creek. The trail was easy. The snow was still very deep and soft. I
couldn't really use my ski poles, for example. When I pushed on them, they
simply broke through the crust and disappeared into the bottomless powder
below. We made great time on the first portion of our return trip and
enjoyed the scenery immensely.

At one point the trail entered the forest again and then broke out to the
bridge where we had last talked to the other couple. We were surprised
to see them standing at the bridge. We skied up and were greeted by
friendly smiles and warm conversation. It turns out that they had skied
to Lake Annette and were a little disappointed with the trip. Apparently
the final section to the lake was pretty steep and maybe not worth the

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DIVHi Kim-/DIV
DIVI read thru your post with interest because I recently got myself into a similar "crossing the line but not realizing it" situation.  Like you, I got out OK, but spent a considerable amount of time afterwards trying to identify the points where errors in our party's judgement had "created" the incident.  I also understand that the first little bit after the incident, you're freaked, and maybe even in a little bit of mild post-traumatic shock as you piece it all together and make sense of it./DIV
DIV /DIV
DIVI think that the biggest error in judgement that I can see in your story is not having the proper equipment.  As I read thru it, I was expecting to hear something along the lines of hitting trees, being delayed to the point that lack of food and adequate clothing created a situation with hypothermia, etc.  A good rule of thumb is that if you're wearing track gear, at least 80% of your route should be on groomed, set tracks (spring crust skiing notwithstanding).  While I totally understand the urge to keep on keeping on on a glorious day, having difficulties with your gear on the way up should translate into a decision at some point that you simply don't have the right tools for the job and should turn around.  It does sound like you kept that in mind, as at least you didn't press on to the lake and points further out, and create a situation where you had to ski out in difficult terrain in the dark./DIV
DIV /DIV
DIVAs far as maps, compasses, etc.  I'm not sure that carrying (or using these more) would have helped you as much as being totally, continually aware of your surroundings.  A map can tell you there's a creek if it occurs to you to look for it; otherwise you're as likely to miss it on the map as anywhere else.  It sounds like you had a high level of awareness regarding avalanches; I'd suggest that you extend that to everything else about your surroundings.  If you cross a bridge, that obviously means there's water around somewhere- where's the creek.  Just keep observing and keeping an inventory of these things.  Another example of reading terrain to stay out of trouble:  Are the slopes above you made of smooth rock layers?  Afternoon glide avalanches off these rocks (which can occur during very "low" avalanche danger relative to normal avalanche triggers) have killed several people in Utah.  "Terrain traps" are also something t!
o avoid
like the plague-- I normally think of them in terms of getting caught in avalanche runout or debris in one, but after your post, I will think of things like water and falling in holes.  By the way, if you're up above timberline in a talus area, a big hole between boulders will mess you up just as much as a hole in a creek-- I have the scar on my shin to prove it./DIV
DIV /DIV
DIVAs far as "was this all this serious?  am I over reacting?"  Hell, yeah. and Hell, no.  a meter of rushing water going under ice is serious business.  If you never saw your ski again, where do you think you would go?  You were very lucky, not least because you were lucky enough to inadvertently increase your group size to be appropriate for your ski trip./DIV
DIV /DIV
DIVShould you and your wife ski alone?  It depends.  On that trail, with that equipment, and in those conditions, and with that particular route choice, I'd say that "no" is a pretty obvious answer.  But you could ski alone if you made the mental decision to exercise the "bail" option at a more conservative decision-making point.  It sounds like you basically blundered into a bad situation because you thought you were taking everything into account and then found out that you weren't.  I know this because I'm relatively fresh from my own experience with this process./DIV
DIV /DIV
DIVMy guarantee:  your freak-out level will decrease, and your level of awareness will increase, and you will become a safer skiier.  And you will still love the mountains, trees, sky, snow, etc.  But you'll probably either restrict your skiing to more "conservative" terrain (fixed tracks and established trails), or get better skis and more experience in that terrain./DIV
DIV /DIV
DIVby the way-- I strongly suggest (if you're going to go with option B, above), that you take an avalanche class because a) conditions change, and b) visitor center-bound rangers may or may not be good sources of information about avalanches.  Also, another error I saw is that for the area and terrain you were in, a shovel, avalanche beacon, and knowledge of how to use the latter would have been a good thing.  I've bailed on tours just because I forgot my beacon./DIV
DIVBRBRBIMe >/I/B wrote:/DIV
BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid"Near Fatal Ski IncidentBRBRKim LuxBRFeb. 21, 2004BRBRSummaryBRBRAn experienced skier experiences a potentially deadly incident while crossBRcountry skiing. Danger lurks where you least expect it, when you leastBRexpect it. The outdoors are a potentially dangerous place. LessonsBRlearned are shared at the end of the article. The entire day is discussedBRin detail. See if you can spot where errors in judgment were made,BRleading to the incident.BRBRStoryBRBRMy wife and I are experienced cross country/ ski tourers. Since ChristmasBRwe had skied six times for 55 kms on a variety of ski trails: everythingBRfrom level track set trails to back country type jaunts. We've been doingBRthis sort of skiing for 10 years.BRBRI've been trained in avalanche awareness. I've dug snow pits. I'veBRpracticed avalanche receiver rescue, etc. I've been on !
a multi
day backBRcountry/telemark trip. I'm not a telemark pro by any means, but I used toBRbe able to link some nice turns, both in the back country and on skiBRslopes.BRBRI gave up "full on" telemark/back country skiing in recent years, in spiteBRof loving it. There were 26 people killed in the back country of WesternBRCanada last year . People with, arguably, as much or more experience andBRtraining than I had. If they could succumb to an avalanche, so could I. BRThat was a risk I wasn't willing to take.BRBRI changed my/our skiing habits to NOT include anything that had avalancheBRrisk. We sold our telemark equipment, purchased lighter cross countryBRequipment and vowed to be content sticking to more moderate/safe trails. BRI also gave up telemarking both in the backcountry and at ski slopes forBRsnowboarding. It was a trade off I was willing to accept.BRBROur plan for the day was simple: we'd drive out to Lake Louise and spendBRthe day cross!
country
skiing. My wife liked the sound of some of theBRtrails in the guide book. She was specifically interested in the "PlainBRof Six Glaciers" trail.BRBRThe packing and drive to Lake Louise was uneventful.BRBRIn order to maximize our chances of finding a good ski trail, we stoppedBRin at the information center at Lake Louise. Several times we've traveledBRto a ski trail only to find the conditions terrible, trail closed, etc. soBRour standard practice is to visit information booths wherever possible. BRToday was no different.BRBRMy wife was the lead decision maker in selecting the ski trail. She had aBRtrail in mind and I was happy to do whatever she wanted, as long as thereBRwas a bit of challenge involved. I'll ski track set trails if there isBRenough scenery/distance/elevation to get a good physical workout. I'llBRski unset trails. I'll ski just about anything. I just love skiing.BRBRWe arrived at the visitor's center, which was nearly empt!
y, in
spite ofBRhaving a very big display of plant/animal/geology information about theBRarea.BRBRI approached the desk and started talking with a resource officer. MyBRwife, meanwhile went to the washroom. We chatted idly about skiBRconditions in the area, trails we had done, etc. When my wife arrived atBRthe desk we started discussing potential trails in detail. The resourceBRofficer had a large, detailed topo map under a piece of glass on hisBRkiosk. My wife stated that we wanted to ski the "Plain of Six GlaciersBRTrail." He replied that it was a good choice, ie the scenery would beBRnice and the trail condition was good, but that it had some avalancheBRrisk. It didn't necessarily cross any avalanche prone slopes, but it wasBRin the run out path of a few such slopes. Although the avalanche hazardBRwas rated low, the weather was going to be very mild and there was someBRrisk. We were not carrying transceivers and poles and thus we quicklyBRruled !
out the
trail, at least for this trip. Not that they wouldBRnecessarily help if you got caught in an avalanche runout ...BRBRThe resource officer then suggested a trail that we had already skied thisBRyear: The Great Divide Trail. About 15kms long return, it was track setBRand beautiful. We wanted something different.BRBRHe then suggested the Moraine Lake Road trail, which was the same as theBRGreat Divide trail, ie trackset, etc., but going in the oppositeBRdirection. We weren't fussy on skiing track set trails again. We wantedBRsomething that would lead us into a more pristine wilderness environment.BRBRHe then suggested the Paradise Valley trail, which was basically anBRadvanced cross country ski trail. We looked it over on the map and itBRseemed pretty good. It lead skiers up a valley behind Lake Louise whereBRone could see several glaciers, mountain peaks, etc. The elevation gainBRwas minimal (250m) and very gradual. It followed a creek that fed
fromBRseveral glaciers in the area. It looked perfect. My wife consulted theBRguide book and it rated the trail as moderate.BRBRBROne had to ski a few kms of the Moraine Lake trail to reach the trailheadBRfor the Paradise Valley trail. We drove to the Moraine Lake trail parkingBRlot, which was nearly full.BRBROur preparation was normal: change into ski clothes, pack the pack, waxBRthe skis, etc. We carry a small first aid kit, a knife, some extraBRclothing (toque, mitts, etc), ski wax, etc.BRBRI carry the pack. I'm a stronger skier than my wife. Although the packBRis fairly light (8 pounds), it would slow her down.BRBRWe generally don't carry a map. Today was an exception. My wife wasBRwearing a small fanny pack and she had a granola bar, map and water bottleBRin it. The resource officer had given us a "tourist type" ski trail mapBRand she had brought it along.BRBROur issues with carrying and using a map are several. First of all, m!
ostBRof
the ski trails are fairly well marked. What this means is that thereBRis a sign post at most major intersections. Secondly, there are sometimesBRseveral intersections, formal and in formal, in a small area and it can beBRhard to know exactly which intersection you are at. Thirdly, we don'tBRcarry a compass. I've got a great sense of direction. I have helpedBRpeople on the trail who have a compass but don't know how to use it findBRtheir position on a map. Lastly, we are frequently skiing in trees, onBRmountain sides, etc. where there aren't any sightlines to use a map andBRcompass.BRBRWe'd never been lost on any trip. Sometimes we didn't know exactly whereBRwe were on the trail, but we always knew how to get back to where weBRstarted.BRBRI have a topo map of the Lake Louise area and we looked at it the previousBRevening. We actually had an argument about the "Plain of Six Glaciers"BRtrail and I dug it up to prove my point. The trail skirted L!
ake
Louise. BRI was certain I had walked that trail many years ago and that it was aBRpaved path. I was certain there would be no ski trail, and if there was,BRit would be downtrodden by non skiing pedestrians. That was frequently aBRproblem in Lake Louise, where the tourists are many and those with skiBRknowledge were few. (The resource officer told us that there were in factBRtwo trails: the paved foot path and a real ski trail.)BRBRI had briefly glanced at both the Moraine Lake Road trail and the ParadiseBRValley trail the previous evening. I didn't give them any further thoughtBRthough.BRBRBack in the parking lot, it was a beautiful day. The sun was shiningBRbrightly. The temperature had warmed to about 0C. There wasn't any wind,BRnor a cloud in the sky. It was a perfect day for a ski.BRBRI dressed lightly. I was wearing a pair of medium weight long underwear BRunder a light nylon shell pant. On my torso I had a long sleeve ski shirtBRand!
a light
nylon cycling jacket. I didn't wear anything on my hands,BRalthough I had nylon mitt shells in the pack. I expected the day to warmBRup considerably. I've been on ski trails in similar conditions where itBRfeels like 25C due to the intense sun radiation.BRBRMy wife dressed warmer. She was wearing a fleece jacket underneath aBRGoreTex shell. I expected her to be too warm and have to shed clothingBRalong the way.BRBRDuring our preparation, I noticed another couple pull in to the parkingBRlot across from us. I happened to glance up and notice that he wasBRputting on telemark boots and skis, equipped with cable bindings. IBRwandered over and struck up a conversation. I asked him if he was goingBRto be telemarking. He said no, that was just the equipment he was goingBRto use. I looked at her equipment and saw the more standard fa NNNBRboots, narrower skies. They might have had metal edges, but they weren'tBRfor telemarking.BRBRHe asked me i!
f I
expected to see bears on the trail. Why, I asked. HeBRpointed out that we had our pepper spray in one of the mesh pouches on theBRexterior of the pack. "Maybe it will come in handy if you run into aBRdisgruntled skier" he chided me. At least we removed the bear bells thatBRwe had on last time we were skiing... It was nice to meet young friendlyBRskiers like ourselves. Little did I know that later in the day he wouldBRhelp save my life.BRBRUnlike the guy in the other couple, we were skiing on light equipment. IBRhave a pair of high end NNN combi boots. They are light and have greatBRankle support. My skis were actually racing skis, 44mm wide with a lot ofBRcamber. I waxed them with a big grip pocket. I was a pretty decent skierBRand I could (and have) handled a wide variety of terrain with them. I'veBRoften thought that those boots were as stiff and good as my old leatherBRtelemark boots, which I no longer owned. My wife was equipped similarlyBR!
to me,
but with a lesser quality boot and a wider, more all round ski.BRBRWe started out on the Moraine Lake trail. I had decent grip from my wax,BRbut my glide was a little short. I skied for about 5 minutes and lookedBRback for my wife, who was about 50 yards behind me. Her glide lookedBRquite short. Her skis had a considerable buildup of wax in the kick zone.BRI ski skated back to her to check things out. She was fine. I wasBRusually the faster of us on the trail. We then continued on skiing theBRMoraine Lake trail.BRBRWe skied up to a sign on the side of the road/trail that had a skier andBRmountain bike symbol on it. This must be the trail head I thought. TheBRresource officer had told us there were 2 ways to get onto the ParadiseBRtrail. I thought this was the first one. We stopped to discuss whetherBRto take this trail or the next one.BRBRMeanwhile, the couple parked across from us in the parking lot skied up. BRIt turned out that they were!
going to
ski Paradise Valley as well. TheyBRhad never skied it before. They thought this wasn't the trail head. TheyBRthought it was farther ahead. We went along with their decision and IBRdecided that we could follow them.BRBRWe set off as an informal group. His female companion was leading theBRgroup with him following her, then me and then my wife. I was surprisedBRby their speed on the trail, even for him with those wide skis. I couldBRkeep up with my narrow track skis , but I wondered if I would have beenBRable to if I had wide skies like his. I'm a pretty strong skier. TheseBRpeople were obviously experienced. My wife lagged behind. We talked asBRwe skied. The guy worked for Parks Canada as a "computer guy". He wasn'tBRan accomplished telemarker. He was actually a snowboarder, like I was. BRHe did backcountry snowboarding, something I've always wanted to try.BRBRAt one point on a downhill section I ski skated past the other couple,BRturned aroun!
d ski
skated back to my wife. The two of us caught up to theBRother couple at the road side trail head for Paradise Valley. They hadBRtheir topo map out and were comparing their map with the trail head map,BRwhich was behind a piece of glass on the trail head information board.BRBRI asked them about the trail and they confirmed this was the first trailBRentrance point. The previous trail marker was for a different trail. IBRfound it hard to believe that the two trails wouldn't have joined givenBRhow close they were, but I was happy to know we were at the "right" trailBRhead. There was still another trail head ahead of us that could be taken.BRWe decided to take this trail ahead and follow the other couple.BRBRThe trail started out with a steep climb between narrowly spaced trees. BRThe trail was totally skier set as I expected and liked. The initialBRclimb would have been perfect and easy on wide skis with skins. BeingBRthat none of us had skins, we !
were side
stepping and herring boning ourBRway up.BRBRThe snow was deep. My skis didn't have much flotation. If I stepped offBRthe packed portion of the trail, I sank shin deep into the snow.BRBRHaving done some backcountry skiing I was familiar with maneuvering inBRsituations like this. As the other couple progressed ahead of me, IBRwaited for my wife who was having a bit of difficulty in those steep/closeBRquarters. I secretly worried a bit about how we would ski out of this,BRbut there were tracks from others who had walked down in the deep snow, soBRI thought we would be OK. Besides, the steep section was pretty short.BRBRThe trail then became a skier set single track through the forest. BRAlthough it was narrow, the grade was gentle and there weren't very manyBRturns. There were no sharp turns. Wherever the trail had any steepnessBRthe track was obliterated, worn out by people herring boning up and snowBRplowing coming down. I found it manageabl!
e, almost
easy, even with myBRtrack skis.BRBRI loved the trail. It reminded me of my days as a telemarker. It wasBRnice to be away from the "crowds" of the easier trails. The trail wasBRfast, on the verge of icy. Snow plowing with our light equipment was outBRof the question, due to our skis and the width of the trail, but simplyBRrunning in the less packed part of the trail would slow one down enough toBRcontrol ones speed.BRBRWe had become separated from the other couple, but now we ran into them onBRthe trail again. He had his ski up on his shoulder and was applyingBRkicker wax. He didn't have much grip and asked me what was I was using. BRI replied "Special Blue". He was using Extra Blue, if I recall correctly.BRThat explained some of the speed they had on the trail.BRBRThey proceeded on and I waited briefly for my wife to catch up.BRBRFor the next hour or so we played a game of cat and mouse with the otherBRcouple. Whenever they stopped we w!
ould
catch them. The day was sunny andBRfairly mild. The trail was good. We were having a good day.BRBRAt some point the trail broke out of the forest to a creek in the valley. BRThere was a bridge that led to a trail on the other side of the creek. BRIt was there that we met the other couple again. At this point I learnedBRthe guys name was Dale. His companion remarked that "we have to stopBRmeeting like this".BRBRThere was a small family having lunch on the bridge, in the sunshine. IBRspoke with them briefly. They asked us how we came out on that side ofBRthe bridge and about the trail we had taken. I told them we just startedBRat the road side trail head and followed the signs. They were on lightBRequipment ie the old 3 pin ski "shoes", with sweat pant type clothing. IBRwarned them that trail was tight and slippery. They had skied in on theBRsecond trailhead, which they told us was open and easy. I made a mentalBRnote that we should ski out on !
that
trail.BRBRThe scenery in the valley was spectacular. The valley was about half aBRmile wide, framed on both sides by forest, mountains and beautiful blueBRsky. I loved skiing and this was why. The fresh air. The physicalBRexertion. The beautiful scenery. The company of my wife. The smiles. BRThe beautiful white snow. It was all here. It really was paradiseBRvalley.BRBRThe other couple proceeded along the creek in front of us. We took aBRquick water break and followed their direction.BRBRThe snow was much deeper and softer in the valley. I stopped to take someBRpictures and quickly sank to my thighs in the soft snow WITH MY SKIS ON. BRThis was skiing heaven. I silently cursed not having heavier equipment,BRat least wider skis. I should have known better.BRBRWe continued on up the valley along the creek for an hour and some. TheBRtrail was open. We almost always had a view of the mountains and theBRcreek. We continued skiing the trail whi!
ch
traversed back and forth overBRthe creek and along its edges. We stopped a couple of times to takeBRpictures.BRBRWe could see quite a distance with the openness of the valley. From timeBRto time I'd catch a glimpse of the couple ahead of us as they skied aroundBRa bluff or over a bridge.BRBRAt one point the trail entered a forest and the valley narrowed. TheBRtemperature became very cold. In fact, I was borderline cold for theBRwhole trip. My nylon shell was too light for these conditions. I hadBRleft my breathable shell jacket in the truck at the trail head. When weBRentered the valley, I became quite cold. I didn't stop to don some of theBRwarmer clothing in my pack, but I did tell my wife I wanted to get out ofBRthe forest and into the sunshine ASAP.BRBRWe met a few individuals along the trail. Most of them were the hard coreBRclimbers and skiers. All were wearing wide skies, some were even wearingBRmountain touring equipment, heavy pl!
astic
climbing boots with lockdownBRbindings. One of the things you learn when you hang around mountainBRvenues like Banff, Canmore, Lake Louise, etc. is that there is a WIDEBRrange of abilities in the climbing/ skiing/hiking/mountain biking world. BRAt one point we came upon the other couple again. Dale was talking withBRa guy equipped with a big pack and wide skis. He'd just spent 3 days inBRthe backcountry skiing and climbing.BRBRI kept a sharp eye out for avalanche hazards as we skied through theBRforest. In particular the resource officer had warned us that we would beBRcrossing avalanche runout paths. He wasn't lying. In several sections ofBRthe forest the trees were delimbed on the uphill side and whole sectionsBRof forest were missing or replaced by young, small trees. The resourceBRofficer had stated that the avalanche hazard was low and that a runout bigBRenough to reach the trail wouldn't occur this year because there simplyBRwasn't enough!
snow. I
made sure that we didn't linger in the runoutBRzones.BRBRAt some point the trail broke out of the forest into a simply spectacularBRsegment of the valley. The sunshine was bright. The air temperature hereBRhad warmed. The scenery was outstanding. We decided to stop for lunch. BRAt this point we were about 6 or 7 kms from the trail head parking lot. BRWe weren't at our ultimate destination in the valley, that being LakeBRAnnette, but this would do for now.BRBRI was hungry. I was also still cold. I donned a warm toque and my nylonBRmitt shells and started to warm up. We dug out our lunch and proceeded toBReat. My wife removed here skis and sat on them. I kept my skis on.BRBRMy wife remarked that we should get some heavier ski equipment again.BRBRAfter lunch we dug out the camera and proceeded to take about 20 picturesBRof the creek and the view. We were in paradise . We might as wellBRcapture some of it for our picture collection. We skied !
back and
forthBRaround and over the creek taking pictures from various angles of variousBRscenes. We discussed proceeding to Lake Annette and decided to forgo it. BRAt one point we thought we had passed it just before re entering theBRforest. One never knows exactly what constitutes a lake in the mountains.BRI've seen some ridiculously small bodies of water termed a lake.BRBRWe haphazardly decided to take a different return route. Instead ofBRskiing back in the forest, we followed a set of ski tracks along theBRcreek. The trail was easy. The snow was still very deep and soft. IBRcouldn't really use my ski poles, for example. When I pushed on them, theyBRsimply broke through the crust and disappeared into the bottomless powderBRbelow. We made great time on the first portion of our return trip andBRenjoyed the scenery immensely.BRBRAt one point the trail entered the forest again and then broke out to theBRbridge where we had last talked to the other cou!
ple. We
were surprisedBRto see them standing at the bridge. We skied up and were greeted byBRfriendly smiles and warm conversation. It turns out that they had skiedBRto Lake Annette and were a little disappointed with the trip. ApparentlyBRthe final section to the lake was pretty steep and maybe not worth theBRBR=== message truncated ===/BLOCKQUOTEphr SIZE=1
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