Following in Chuck’s tracks

If you’ve skied Goat Creek/Spray River West, you may recognize this sign where the two trails meet. Photo by Chuck.

Chuck’s backcountry ski trips and the photos he’s been sending have been nothing short of spectacular. 

Chuck was following Goat Tracks on his way to Rink’s Camp.

While skiing Goat Creek I’ve often stopped at the intersection where Chuck headed south to Rink’s Camp and wondered what was out there. I’m thinking the cougar was following Chuck’s tracks for ease of movement and not because it was looking for a tasty meal. I expect the moose or goat tracks were more of an attractant to the cougar. You can see all Chuck’s photos including the cougar tracks in Chuck’s ski tracks. 

Lost and Found

Hi Bob here’s a trip report as well as the location of the lost thermometer.

Frost on the Elk Pass – Tyrwhitt – Hydroline picnic table. Photo by Jay Abbey.

We had a great ski at Peter Lougheed today. We started at the Elk Pass parking lot at 9:30, with a clear blue sky and a temperature of -13c. We went up Elk Pass, the tracks are in good shape to the pass. The weather and the frost on the trees and the picnic table at the pass was amazing. We continued along Tyrwhitt, the snow is good but needs grooming, skier track set to the turn off to Lookout and then fresh grooming on Pocaterra. We stopped at the Whiskey Jack junction for a snack and a quick wax with VR 40. The temperature was -10c.

Here, I decided to check the snow temperature but forgot the thermometer in the snow, too much gabbing in the sunshine I guess. It was set in the snow just off the tracks at the NW corner of the junction.

We headed down Whiskey Jack, fast yahoo, had a little whip out and found the rock just up hill of the steep 90 degree bend. We chose to ski Bolton Creek to Elk Pass. Heading south was a very hard slog, there is packed snow but no tracks. I think Moraine may have been a better choice.

A great day

Jay Abbey