Cesar's Blog

Meeting point Early start as we are already in May and want to avoid the warmer temperatures. Wake up at 4:20am, get ready and hit to road by 4:40. Get to the trail head at 6:30am after dropping off my car in a different spot, drove back to the start with Andy and met with Stephane. We begin the climb, semi flat start to the base on Pig's Tail. Sunny day, blue ski, couldn't ask for a better day :-). Hwy 40 going south Going up I started to struggle as the snow is hard and slippery, felt down a few times and after regrouping with Andy decided to put on ski crampons and go straight up ! First time using the crampons, it is quite a grip ! View of Pig's Tail As we are going up, in the last section I decided to boot up since I was continuing to slide down (even with the crampons), so not shame ! take off the skis, grab them as if they were poles and start hiking up! 150 steps more or less and I hit the summit ! When we hit the summit (the first of ...

After 7 weeks in isolation due to lockdown during Covid-19 the mountains look so far away.... I could barely wait to head out one more time. My buddy Andy text me Friday to see If I wanted to ski Saturday (Second day of the parks been reopen). Without hesitation I said yes. Because it is now May and the weather is warmer, we needed to start early enough to avoid melting snow.. Waiting for the guys Woke up at 4:20am and was in the car heading out by 4:40. The drive to the meeting point was about 45min, then another 45min to Burstall Pass in Kananaskis. Andy, Stephane, and I were at the trail head by 6:20am, gorgeous day, blue ski, only -5c with forecast of +15c !! I am getting ready when I realized I may have forgotten my transceiver at home ! I couldn’t believe it, with almost tears in my eyes the guys were saying “sorry dude... you know the rules”. I kept thinking what happened, I checked everything before I left home, run through my mental inventory, poles, boots, skis...