For our New Year’s trip, we decided to venture somewhere none of us had explored before: Miller Creek. What we didn’t realize was that this spot is basically sledder central, the road was packed tighter than a cement mixer with sled tracks all the way to the alpine. Imagine a sledder’s concrete highway... now imagine us trying to sneak through it on skis.
Our “accommodation” was an A-frame shelter with a view so stunning it almost made us forget the other details. Almost. The cabin itself was... how do I put this gently? Ghetto. But the real treat was my “bedroom”: I squeezed my tiny self under a table, spreading out a blue tarp that once hosted a buffet of mouse and marmot feces. The mixed aroma of rodent urine and poop was so intense I was convinced it could wake the dead. I kept my headlamp low to avoid staring at the counter-top horror show, which looked like a crime scene for small mammals. Meanwhile, Ben and Alex cozied up on a platform barely big enough for two, it was basically the Ritz Carlton compared to my mouse hotel.
On day two, we climbed Sugarloaf Peak. I eyed the North face for a glorious ski descent, but the cliff said, “Nope.” So, we took the East face instead. Judging by the ski tracks and the helicopters buzzing overhead like drones on a mission, this place is clearly a heli-skiing hotspot. We then headed west toward Mount Ross.
Down in the valley at the bottom of Mount Ross, disaster struck: Ben and Alex’s skins decided to bail on them. After some frustrated fiddling, they threw in the towel and turned back to the cabin. Me? I’m not one to quit early. I pushed on, but only to discover the harsh truth: no way I’d summit before dark. With 800m left and the whiteout creeping in, I sprinted back to catch up with the duo, navigating like a bat in fog. Made it back to the cabin just before dark, feeling equal parts relief and exhaustion.
Too tired to ski out in the dark, we unanimously decided to crash for another night (thank you, cozy ghetto cabin!). We finally skied out early the next morning, grateful for daylight and solid ground under our skis.
All in all: mice, sledders, cliff standoffs, and a whiteout sprint, the perfect New Year’s adventure!
No comments:
Post a Comment