After a failed attempt at Mt. Morrison the previous weekend thanks to avalanche conditions, I was ready to tone things down. You know… mellow weekend, maybe some XC skiing, possibly some running, stay close to home, treat my legs like friends.
But apparently, my weekend plans are as stable as spring snowpack. One email later, “wanna ski Skyline?”, and I was back in. Saturday was now booked. Sunday was supposed to be rest, but sunshine in Whistler was calling and so was Alex, who had plans to check out the road access to Wahoo Tower. I made a deal: I’d join, but only if we could take a second swing at Morrison.
4:30 AM: The "Rest" Day Begins
We left Vancouver in the pitch black, spirits high, caffeine flowing, and questionable logic in full swing. Hit the trailhead around 7:30 AM and started skinning. A few switchbacks in, we ditched the cutblock and entered what I call the Deadfall Obstacle Course
By the time we reached the East ridge, our energy had dropped faster than a poorly waxed ski on wet snow.
Alex's Digestive Plot Twist
Just as the alpine opened up before us, Alex hit a "mid-sufferfest system failure", headache and stomach pain combo. I asked if he wanted to turn around, but he insisted on continuing. A lesser man would've bailed. But Alex? No. He soldiered on like a man on a mission… to suffer quietly.
We reached the subsummit, which, according to the government map, is the summit (someone please give that cartographer a compass and a measuring tape). The true summit? Just 700m away, taunting us like a dessert menu after a food coma. The ridge was corniced, awkward, and definitely not worth risking Alex's health over.
Decision made: Morrison wins again. Technically.
The descent was uneventful if you consider skiing over crust, through trees, and around logs with a half-functioning digestive system “uneventful.” We made it to the car in one piece, just in time for the next part of the tour: a scenic 39km drive up the Upper Lillooet FSR. Two-wheel drive, plowed, and suspiciously smooth, almost suspicious enough to be a trap.
Got home by midnight, legs vibrating, dreams filled with cornices, downed logs, and one very determined summit that just doesn’t want to be climbed.
 |
| The ridge that insect to the East of Mount Morrison |
 |
| Alex and Camel back behind and Mount Ross in the far right corner |
 |
| Wishbone Peak, Ride In Peak, and Sneak Out Peak. Ryan River down below |
 |
| Mount Morrison |
 |
| Ryan Peak |
 |
| Logging road |
No comments:
Post a Comment