Mat and I set out to ski Cloudbust Mountain using the Chance Creek approach. The road up to the catskiing shed was fully plowed and clear of snow, but heads up, I don’t recommend driving past that point unless you want to test your 4WD skills (or get stuck!). Beyond the shed, the logging road was mostly snow-covered, perfect for skinning up and an enjoyable ski down.
Avalanche conditions looked stable with no signs of activity, which was a relief.
Quick tip: don’t rely on Don Funk’s route description on Bivouac,it’ll try to send you straight into cliffs, resulting in some frustrating route-finding. Instead, we skinned further along the logging road and aimed for the NNE ridge, which we followed all the way to the summit. Much smoother and less cliffy.
The alpine skiing was excellent, but once we hit the tree line, the snow turned sticky and slow-going. To avoid the worst of it, we decided to follow an old downhill track contouring the east side of the mountain. It was decent until, surprise!,we ran into a cliff. A quick route adjustment got us safely down.
We were back at the car by 2:30 PM, but the day wasn’t over yet. I headed over to Mount Seymour and managed four laps of skiing. The mountain was buzzing with activity,a steady stream of 30+ snowshoers and a cool event featuring live bands playing great tunes.
All in all, a fantastic day blending remote alpine adventure with some lively local vibes.
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