Trying to eat lunch on the wind swept Wapta Icefield By Ivan

By Derry

On February 1st our merry band of backcountry skiers set off across Bow Lake enroute to Bow Hut and distant Mount Gordon. The ski across the wind-swept lake was more like skating, but snow conditions improved once we got into the trees. We proceeded carefully through the narrow creek canyon and up into the snow covered alpine. Bow Hut looked so close across the Valley, but it still took us hours to make the steep climb. A warm fire and good food quickly improved our moods.

Laying in our sleeping bags Saturday morning, we could hear the wind howling. It was tempting to stay in bed, but Mount Gordon called. The experienced glacier travelers helped the rookies get roped up and we were soon climbing towards Mount Gordon. Our lunch break was short as we faced increasing winds and blowing snow. Thoughts of Roland Amundson’s race to the South Pole kept rolling through my mind. Early in the afternoon, some of us decided we were not having fun and returned to Bow Hut. Vance, Andrew, Cordula and Ivan continued the ascent and summited Mount Gordon.

Sunday morning we headed out for a few laps of yo-yoing. The snow was great above the Hut, but we had to save energy for our ski out. After a quick lunch and Hut clean up, we headed back to civilization. Fresh snow on the trail made things easier, but skiing with a big pack is always challenging. By late afternoon, we were back at the cars and headed home.
Next trip we will make it to the top of Mount Gordon!