Too Much Pow

Loop Road Powder Fest

February 26th, 2011

You know it's gonna be a day, when your tracks across Granier Meadows look like this.

My plan was to leave from Bruces and head up to Christina Lake somewhere. With over foot of new snow reported on SNOTEL and probably another foot that fell earlier in the week-- allon top of hard wind pack, ice or suncrust surfaces, I figured I'd stick to low angle, tree shots. The avi danger was probably going to be high. Well, I quickly learned that Christina Lake via the Fiddlers lake trail was gonna be an option. Last week I broke trail all the way in that way in 6 -12 inches of pow... but you could still make out the trail. As soon as I pulled off the loop road and headed into the campground towards the Fiddler's lake trail it was over the hood. I had fun playing in the meadow... but no one had tried to go up the trail-- so I left it alone.

I figured I'd go the long way to Granier Meadows and see if the that trail had been punched in. Conditions were really windy too, making for some very interesting drifting. Trails closed up almost as soon as you opened them. Just the conditions in Granier meadow alone, when I got there, led me to think that I might have to adjust my plans a bit-- maybe Souix Pass or maybe even some shorter shots above Louis Lake. I tried going up the trail, but probably about a mile in, things were just ridiculous. My machine was doing awesome- but it was pushing alot of snow and the belt slipped a little going over a crest of a small hill. After that I realized it probably wouldn't be smart to try to go all the way in. The way the wind was blowing, even if I made it in, I'd have break trail all the way out too. Probably more than the machine or I could handle. I turned around and decided to try some new shots above Louis Lake. I've always been curious about them anyway. Looked like today was the day to try them.

Tracks across the meadow at Fiddlers.

Granier Meadows- was definitley getting turns in. Ha!

The trail to Christina Lake, just out of Granier Meadows.

No way was I going to get away with 10 miles of this.

Crazy! See the trail markers (lookers left).

It's almost always nearly bare ground right here. Not today.

This is as far as I went, this is where I turned around. See how fast the wind filled in my tracks... I figured, no way.

Finally off the machine, skinning up the hill above Louis Lake.

Looking across the way a little peak with some old avi action on it.

The bottom part of one of my first runs.

Good stuff!

I found at least one good huck too!

Click to enlarge, and you can see some of my lines- the were about 500 ft. shots.

Had to drive around avalanche debris on the way out. This was the other area I was thinking about skiing, but chose not to, because it's prone to sliding, and today conditions were prime.

Just a little one- but right next to bigger slopes. This area if it goes big (which it can) coudl shut the road/ trail down. Haven't seen enough snow for this to occur in years.

Almost home, feelin' frisky, I decided to try high marking. Not enough snow here to worry about avis. The skidoo chomped it right up.

A little bit later, I got a little too brave. Looks worse than it was. Didn't even need to get the shovel out.

Great sledding conditions!