French Glacier, Burstall pass Backcountry experience number 8 !

May 04, 2020

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, skins, helmet, food, transceiver... oh man....Where did I leave it !! Just seconds before the guys were leaving I opened up the last zipper in my backpack and it was there !!!! I am back in the trip !!!! Yeah !!!! I found it !!! Holicrap!!! I am back !!!

We started our trip, at least 3 hours to the top of the French Glacier, what a great view, amazing couloirs and right at the top we could see the summer cross country ski camp for the Canadian team.

From there we quickly skin up to take so turns on virgin snow. Once down to skin up again to the base of the other glacier, had to boot up a section (440 steps to be exact) where feet and hands were the tools of the day (I could feel the weight of my pack pulling me back, had to stay focus and lean forward all the time).

At the top another icy and windy section had me carefully thinking every step up, one more, one more, one more... almost there.

The time has come again, "transition" from skins to downhill on a slope is nerve racking, balancing on one foot to take down the skin of the opposite foot is an art.. and once you are “skinless” it is very slippery. Carefully packed my skins in my jacket to keep them warm and slowly turned into position to descend.

Andy took the first jump, we ski down this glacier for at least 2kms or longer, it was amazing, it was icy but at least was downhill, rocks coming down on both sides and the crevasses visible on the side.

New boots were creating some challenges today, rubbing on the hill, pinky toe pressed !! Oh man, I just wanted to take the boots off !

At the bottom, we had to ski on flat and slightly up for a while, bears paw marks along the way, big big size foot prints of the bear !! I wish I had put wax on the skis to slide easier ! So hard on the flats, it reminds me why I don’t like cross country ski at all..

The last few hundred metres were down, it was already noon and had to take off jackets, gloves, toque, etc.. I was nice to see the car and get the boots off !!!

What a day. Number 8 on the books !!