The above photos were taken from the picnic table at the Elk Pass/Blueberry Hill junction.
Is anyone else getting excited for winter? The days are noticeably shorter, the nights are cooler, and the leaves are changing. We’re usually skiing on Elk Pass by the last week in November but I couldn’t wait.
Click for larger image
This one is no contest. Elk Pass is so much nicer in the winter. I biked it back on Aug 4, and while it’s an enjoyable ride to the Blueberry junction, skiing it is just so much more fun. The scenery is spectacular in both seasons.
I rode right to the top where it meets Tyrwhitt and Hydroline, and the final 500 metres is not easy or fun. It becomes swampy after the final hill and the mosquitoes were vicious and profuse. I walked a good portion of that last stretch while being eaten alive. I hurriedly took a few photos at the picnic table and got the h*ll out of there. Give me snow and -10°C any old day.
These photos were all taken at approximately the same location so it’s fun to compare. What a wonderful country when we can get such contrasting landscapes, all in the same year!
More photos comparing winter and summer…
I’m happy the general masses haven’t all figured out the beauty of winter compared to summer. Was camped out in k country for the last week (fri sep 9 to fri step 16). Met a solo woman on a tandem bike from Netherlands (an interesting storey in itself) who was to bike over elk pass all the way to fernie, including the Sunday weather day. Didn’t sound like fun. But yes, plenty of snow in the area Sunday down to about 6000 ft and only about 2 degrees in camp all that day. With the week of sunny weather following things dried up pretty good with all but the high north faces melted off. Three days later did indefatigable north east outlier and only a few patches of snow on the ridge to north summit, just enough to jam into my water bottle. But we can still prey for an October start to the season! On a larch note, things were still mostly yellow to green, no gold yet, in k country. Parks Canada trail reports says things are golden in Louise.
Such great companion photos showing beauty of seasonality. Though an avid all season outdoor enthusiast, I do prefer the winter landscape for its visual aesthetic and soundscape -nothing beats the glint of a billow of snow and the sound of sintering snow under a polythethyline glide. Can’t wait…
You are blessed with your incredible landscape that morphs so beautifully between seasons.
On a weather note, your followers who might be trying to squeeze in some last rounds of golf are going to look at the mountain forecast for the front ranges, with up to 25cm of snow modeled for >2900m, and will wonder weather time wouldn’t be better spent in starting to clean up the ski gear!
Today I noticed the Front Ranges got there first sprinkle of snow, and it snowed in the Highwood yesterday morning. There were still bits up on the South Mist Hills today despite the sun.
hi Bob,
Haha, I know what you mean, everyone I know thinks I’m crazy for enjoying winter more than summer…but they don’t know the beauty of PLPP in the winter.