Results 1 to 25 of 35
Thread: TR - Mount Harrison - 08.04.07
-
04-13-2007, 09:42 AM #1
TR - Mount Harrison - 08.04.07
Tucked away in an obscure and seldom skied nook of the Kootenay Rockies, Mt. Harrison's lofty summit stands just over 3359m(11000 feet). Its the tallest mountain in the area and the Southernmost 11000 footer in the Canadian Rockies.
I'm embarrassed to say I didn't even know this mountain existed until about six months ago when I happened across it in a climbing guidebook (The 11000ers of the Canadian Rockies). When I turned to the page with a snapshot of the north face my eyes nearly popped out of my head as it showed a big couloir that started very close to the summit!
Could this be real? A big north facing couloir from the top of an 11000 foot peak right in my backyard that I'd never even heard of? Yup.
And so began my obsession with skiing this mountain. The guidebook picture was gleefully shown to a selection potential partners early in the season. Tentative plans were made to go have a look sometime in April or May whenever weather and work schedules lined up favorably.
Things came together in early April for an attempt, so three of us set out from Kimberley at 5am on Sunday the 8th. Travel conditions were good and we found ourselves at the end of the road staring up at our objective by sometime around 9am:
The skies were blue and excitement was starting to build. We dropped our overnight gear (anticipating a long day) and proceeded to skin-up and start bushwhacking. Before too long we were out in the open and our route for the day laid itself out in front of us:
We decided to bypass some cliff bands via a tight little chute in order to stay in the shade. The snow in the chute was very nice and excitement continued to build:
The chute topped out on a plateau and it was back to skinning for a while:
We were able to skin up past the bergschrund (there is a small glacier at the base of the big couloir) and then it was time for bootstompin straight up:
At some point we came to a spot where there was black ice not too far under the snow and dude#1 decided he didn't need to go any further. He skied to a safe place and dude#2 and I carried-on up eventually reaching the summit at around 5pm.
The views from the top on this beautiful day were outstanding. Mt. Assiniboine standing prominently to the North:
Mount Fisher to the Southwest:
It was quite a sensation skiing the upper chute as it rolls over as if you're skiing off the edge of the planet:
Before too long we were on a sustained steep pitch:
The snow conditions were superb for steep couloirs:
We charged out onto the apron and over the mini glacier and then traversed over to meet up with dude#1. The three of us sat in a sunny spot and refueled and rejoiced for a bit before dropping in to the lower chute where we found the best snow of the day:
Looking back up at the lower chute:
We got back to the sleds sometime around 7pm and proceeded to slam a few beers and chow down before passing out exhausted:
-
04-13-2007, 10:01 AM #2
Sweet looking mountain. Well done
-
04-13-2007, 10:06 AM #3
nice
"...but I come from no country, from no city, no tribe. I am the son of the road, my country is the caravan, my life the most unexpected of voyages".-Leo Africanus
-
04-13-2007, 10:07 AM #4
Nice work, looks like you guys could stay busy for a lifetime up there
"They don't think it be like it is, but it do."
-
04-13-2007, 10:10 AM #5Registered User
- Join Date
- Aug 2006
- Location
- Calgary
- Posts
- 1,130
Very nice!
-
04-13-2007, 10:15 AM #6Registered User
- Join Date
- Nov 2006
- Location
- burllllington.
- Posts
- 292
Awesome TR!!!
-
04-13-2007, 11:56 AM #7
On this report you get an A+. Nice work plus no homework for the weekend.
-
04-13-2007, 12:03 PM #8
sleds = skidoo for approach or just hauling o/n gear in toboggans?
-
04-13-2007, 12:05 PM #9
sickity!
Originally Posted by blurred
-
04-13-2007, 12:27 PM #10
Awesome line.
-
04-13-2007, 12:28 PM #11
Whoa!, a real live kick-ass TR in the ski/snowboard forum instead of a stupid poll about something stupid. What's going on here?
Great looking line, great looking TR. Thanks!
-
04-13-2007, 12:38 PM #12
nice. well done indeed.
"You know what's rrrrreal good? Cheese, dipped in cheese." - Big Rodge.
-
04-13-2007, 12:39 PM #13
absolutely stupendous stoke contribution - glad you got what you hoped for. Thank you for sharing the adventure with us.
Missouri looks nothing like your backyard!"When restraint and courtesy are added to strength, the latter becomes irresistible."
Mohandas Gandhi
-
04-13-2007, 12:44 PM #14
SWEET stuff St. !
-
04-13-2007, 12:59 PM #15
Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
04-13-2007, 01:05 PM #16
FKNA! Very nice.
-
04-13-2007, 01:14 PM #17Registered User
- Join Date
- May 2005
- Posts
- 3,972
Damn, that was FINE!
Thanks for puttin it up.
-
04-13-2007, 02:27 PM #18Lover de La Nina
- Join Date
- Jun 2004
- Location
- South Lake Taco
- Posts
- 983
Great TR in every way! A day like that is what it is all about.
-
04-13-2007, 03:06 PM #19
-
04-13-2007, 03:20 PM #20Registered User
- Join Date
- Apr 2005
- Location
- Seattle
- Posts
- 123
Wowowow.... that looks awesome!
Can't wait for some good weather to get here....
-
04-14-2007, 12:12 AM #21
-
04-14-2007, 08:37 PM #22
Bump, because this is a very cool ski descent on a remote and seldom visited peak.
-
04-14-2007, 08:47 PM #23
nice line, you scored
You're all lame.
-
04-14-2007, 09:19 PM #24
amazing what a little research and some hard work can do...great lines.
-
04-14-2007, 09:41 PM #25mental projection
- Join Date
- Feb 2004
- Location
- 208 State
- Posts
- 2,577
And so began my obsession with skiing this mountain
Quite a beautiful peak and a great TR. Love the photo of Assiniboine.
Now to the maps to see where it is..
Similar Threads
-
Maggot Picture thread?
By PaSucks in forum The Hall of FameReplies: 903Last Post: 09-09-2012, 12:12 PM -
FS: Yakima Snow Roc, hitch mount ski rack
By harpo-the-skier in forum Gear Swap (List View)Replies: 6Last Post: 11-10-2008, 01:23 PM -
TR: Mount Huron (14,003) East Face Couloir 4/6/07
By KillingCokes in forum General Ski / Snowboard DiscussionReplies: 38Last Post: 04-12-2007, 02:26 PM -
Congratulations Mr Davenport!
By Knockneed Man in forum General Ski / Snowboard DiscussionReplies: 38Last Post: 01-22-2007, 11:39 AM -
2006 Salomon AK Rocket Lab Swallowtail mount points
By altasnowbirdripper in forum Tech TalkReplies: 7Last Post: 11-21-2006, 01:01 PM
Bookmarks