Rogers Pass, BC

We drove out to Rogers Pass on Friday, February 13 (Aaron’s birthday), leaving Seattle at 1 in the afternoon with Pete and Becky in Plum with us and Murray and Andy in Andy’s car. On Saturday the 14th (Valentine’s Day), we did a shake down trip up to the Lilly Glacier. The tour was beautiful, but I would rate the snow as just okay. Despite the advantage of being north facing, the slopes were pretty heavily windswept. Marcus & Anastasia showed up Saturday night, coming straight from Seatac after Anastasia returned from the Philippines. On Sunday, Kirsten, Andy, Murray, Pete, Becky and I did a tour towards Balu Pass to a north-facing bowl on Cheops, while Marcus & Anastasia did a jetlag recovery tour up to Bruins Pass. We found pretty good, old powder in the bowl sheltered from wind effect. Monday (Presidents Day in the U.S., Family Day in Canada), despite heavy legs from the last two days, Pete, Becky, Kirsten and I did the Youngs Peak Tour, starting up toward Lookout Peak, across the Illicelliwaet Glacier, up the final slopes of Youngs Peak, and then skied down the Asulkan Valley. The tour was exhausting, but incredibly beautiful, climbing below Mt Sir Donald, along the edge of the massive Illicelliwaet Néve, up the convoluted north ridge of Youngs Peak, and then to top it off, we managed to find open slopes of well-preserved old powder on the descent. We regrouped down in Revelstoke for dinner, then skied Tuesday morning at the Revelstoke ski resort before driving home.