Haig Ridge IV

 

October 7, 2018

Mountain height:  2186 m
Elevation gain:     770 m 
Ascent time:        3:25
Descent time:     1:45

Snowshoeing with Dave McMurray.
 
Snowshoeing on October 7? Seriously?? Oh yeah! And what a sweet, sweet snowshoe it was!!
 
Having ascended Haig Ridge via Paradise Lake, two weeks earlier in fairly miserable but interesting weather conditions, I was badly craving redemption. Seeing the yellow larches, red foliage, and fantastic views in less than perfect weather was simply unacceptable.
 
This was also the opportunity to do a long overdue trip with one of my favourite scrambling partners, Mr. Dave McMurray. Dave has a pure and unassuming love for the mountains and the experience they offer and is just an all-round good guy. It is a sheer pleasure to scramble/snowshoe with Dave…….(plus he’s a terrific trail-breaker!)
 
Given the very surprising and perhaps record snowfall of the past week we decided to bring snowshoes on this trip, just in case. Good decision! The snow was shockingly deep and not terribly supportive. After plodding up a ski-run, and running into the tracks of a very large grizzly bear (thankfully going down the mountain!), we fortuitously intersected a very pronounced split-board trail, going up the mountain. This trail was a godsend and solely responsible for enabling us to get to the summit. Without it, the ascent would have been brutally strenuous, requiring at least double the amount of time and probably three or four times the physical exertion. Several times we commented that we owed the individual(s), who had carved out the trail, several beers. 
 
With a perfect blue ski and surrounded by pristine snow we continued up the ridge in great spirits. Of course the red foliage I had seen two weeks earlier was completely covered by the snow, but we hoped the larches would still be holding onto their needles. Spotting a single and fully yellow larch ahead was all the confirmation we needed – this already terrifically scenic trip was about to get stunning!
 
And stunning doesn’t even begin to describe to the remainder of the ascent. The unusual combination of yellow larches surrounded by deep, white snow provided breath-taking scenery I had never experienced in 17 years of mountain travels. Our pace slowed considerably, both Dave and I trying to best capture the magic with our cameras.   
 
Although we expected the split-board trail to suddenly end, it just kept going up and up. Again, we commented on our desire to thank the trail breaker(s). Well, apparently the universe heard us because suddenly, out of the blue (and yellow and white) there appeared a split-boarder and his two dogs. He and two companions had broken the trail the day before and had returned to do a few runs down the mountain. The man was super friendly and, like us, thoroughly enjoying the amazing scenery and stellar weather. We thanked him profusely before he and the dogs continued on, leaving us in the proverbial dust (actually, powder!). The two other members of his party whizzed by us shortly after.  As a note of interest, it took that party of three (and two dogs) about one hour to reach the summit of Haig Ridge from the parking lot – Dave and I were at hour 3 and still ascending!
 
The summit was eventually reached, where we took an extended break to enjoy the magnificent view. Mount Haig was outrageously stunning, half in Sun and half in shadow, and looking far more Himalayan than it normally does in early October. Once again, we thanked the trail-breaking heroes of the day and then watched them glide through the larches, on their way to a super-fast ride down the mountain.
 
We had no such intention of enjoying an exhilarating and almost effortless ride down, both feeling we had thoroughly earned the slow, plodding, graceless snowshoe descent that we have learned to love!
 
Although I initially advertised to Dave that this would be a loop route and we would descend via Paradise Lake, we both agreed that generally descending the way we came up would be far more scenic and enjoyable. The only change we made was to stay near the ridge for the first part of the descent, which, needless to say, yielded a whole new array of breath-taking views. Progress was initially slow, but only because we wanted to take in as much of the delightful scenery as possible. Once back on the ski runs and access roads, our pace increased dramatically. Snowshoeing down the runs (again on October 7!) was fun and yes, almost effortless! I did regret not bringing a Crazy Carpet, however!
 
An unexpected and totally amazing day out! My sincerest thanks to Dave for his awesome company and to our three trail-breakers from Crowsnest Pass.
 
  

Looking up the ski run we would ascend (photo by Dave McMurray)



Travel in the trees was a little easier, but the snowshoes would be coming out very soon! (photo by Dave McMurray)



They are out! (photo by Dave McMurray)



I casually waltzed right by the grizzly tracks in front, not even noticing a very large animal had been this way.
Luckily for us Dave is a little more cognizant of our surroundings (photo by Dave McMurray)



Grizzly paw print. That's a big animal (photo by Dave McMurray)



Split-board tracks - Hallelujah!



A quick snowshoe adjustment (photo by Dave McMurray)



Dave passes a solitary larch, but it's still holding its needles - that's a good sign



Dave leads the way (as he did through pretty much the entire ascent). Gravenstafel Ridge at the right



A very cool section of the lower part of the mountain



Mount Haig appears



Dave continues to lead the way



This wasn't even the deepest snow we encountered and it's October 7!!!!! (photo by Dave McMurray)



A scenic little highpoint along the way (photo by Dave McMurray)



My yellow jacket looks good here but what about in the larches? (photo by Dave McMurray)

Dave comes up to the highpoint. He wisely chose to wear dark orange!



  Dave at the highpoint



Dave's takes in the terrific view of the objective (far left), Mount Haig, and Gravenstafel Ridge



The number of yellow larches increases and Dave's jacket looks even better



And better!



Old, twisted, sun-bleached, dead trees - the next best thing to yellow larches






The larches are multiplying and I'm disappearing! (photo by Dave McMurray)



The gentleman and his dogs from Crowsnest Pass pass us after we thanked him (no typo there!)



  Within seconds he was well ahead of us - leaving us in the powder



Views towards Mount Haig start to really improve






Dave passes through two dead trees



I follow (photo by Dave McMurray)



Crazy, cool scenery!



And again!









Couldn't be happier to be here (photo by Dave McMurray)



I detoured over to a minor outcrop to watch Dave complete the ascent
 


 



Dave looks back to the outcrop I'm on (photo by Dave McMurray)



Close-up (photo by Dave McMurray)



Dave is almost at the summit



Success!



He is happy too



Stuffing my face with a Cliffbar (photo by Dave McMurray)



Both of us and one of the dogs enjoying the awesome view (photo by the terrific Crowsnest Pass guy)
 


The northeast/east face of Mount Haig was stunning



Paradise Lake looks way different than it did two weeks ago (photo by Dave McMurray)



The heroic split-boarders and the dogs



We say goodbye to our heroes and they start down (photo by Dave McMurray)



Close-up of Mount Haig's insanely snowy summit



Time to leave (photo by Dave McMurray)









Looking back at the summits of Haig Ridge and Mount Haig



Dave's turn to check out the outcrop



The drop on the north side of the ridge is fairly severe



The summit, the outcrop and Dave



Breaking new trail near the ridge



Tons of great scenery as we head down



Love this larch and Haig summit shot by Dave (photo by Dave McMurray)



Love this one too! (photo by Dave McMurray)



Getting back into the larches and dead trees



We snowshoed along the edge of the north side for a while



Still happy



Dave follows



And then went back into the larches



Surrounded by magic



Dave frames the summit of Mount Haig (photo by Dave McMurray)



Returning to more open terrain



The snow here was deep and awesome to descend (photo by Dave McMurray)



Barnaby Ridge across the valley



Dave descending sweet powder



I do the same (photo by Dave McMurray)



The rock outcrop at the left was a rainbow feature of my trip two weeks earlier



Dave runs up that outcrop



At the top



Yes, we took a lot of photos!!



Spot Dave - he is in the photo



Dave's perspective of me from the outcrop - yes I am in the photo (photo by Dave McMurray)



Heading up to join Dave at the top



Wonderful views along the edge






Dave photographs Haig Lake in the valley to the north



Heading down again - we could have stayed up there all day!



More awesome ridge descending (photo by Dave McMurray)



Dave leads us down an interesting ramp. There is a severe drop to the left.



My turn to descend it (photo by Dave McMurray)



Back onto the uptrack



Our pace picked up here (photo by Dave McMurray)
 


Dave demonstrates perfect slalom technique on snowshoes (9.8/10)

The End
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