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Petain Falls

Report Submitted by Sara M
(trip) Date: Saturday Mar 26, 2022

Submitted: Saturday Mar 26, 2022 at 18:02

Discussion:

Day trip to Petain Falls today. I started from the Elk Pass parking lot on LT skis. My skis have removable skins that I decided to use right off the start, rather than try to wax. The Elk Pass trail was still closed for avy danger so I took Hydroline all the way to the pass. Descending down the powerline to the Elk Lakes cabin was super fun! The snow had a good solid crust that my metal edges gripped nicely, I got some pretty fun turns. The trail from the cabin to the upper Elk Lake was well packed, but a bit rough from snowshoe traffic. I removed the skins to skate ski across the crusty lake, then put them back on to ski up Petain Creek to the falls at the back of the valley. The sun was getting the snow quite moist already as I had lunch at the falls! So moist, in fact, that I took the skins off and had perfect grip with completely smooth, clean bases. Petain Creek is at that perfect gradient where you don't realise you're gaining elevation until you turn around and ski back down it! Recrossing the lake was a much slower affair but still fun. Climbing back up to the pass felt faster than I was expecting, even with a detour to get a few steeper corn snow turns on a cutblock. Once I got back onto the groomed trails, the snow was brutally slow. I was striding downhill at some points, with no grip wax and no clumping! An excellent spring day.

upper Elk Lake

the head of the valley

very frozen Petain Falls





4 comment(s) posted

Comments:



2022-03-26 at 19:10 - comment by Chuck

Thank you Sara,for such an interesting and well documented report.
I do wonder what skis you have... hopefully not pink!
Great to learn of all these new options we have in spring.





2022-03-26 at 20:42 - comment by Sara M

Chuck-
Not pink, just blue and white. They're Madshus Panorama M55. The bases have a little recessed spot for the front of the skin, so they don't drag as much as a normal kicker skin. Much slower than a track skin ski though. The system works pretty well.





2022-03-26 at 20:51 - comment by Ulrikeski

Awesome report, Sara. I enjoyed my recent trip to Elk Lakes cabin and Lower Elk Lake. But this is a real inspiration to explore beyond!





2022-03-26 at 21:44 - comment by Mike W

Pink rules!!!



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