Tickled pink on Marmot Creek
Trip date: Monday Mar 21, 2022
Submitted by Mike W
Particpants:
Me and my Little B's
Discussion:
Note: Photos 7-12 are in a "Comment" above this report.
About a month ago during a visit to Switching Gear in Canmore, I scored a pair of the highly coveted but rarely found 2006 Atomic Balanze "Little B's" in Special Edition pink, with the famous green butterfly graphic prominently displayed just aft of the tip! (Photo 1) They're metal-edged light touring skis specially designed for high manoeuvrability in dense trees and narrow trails. The 140cm length and 107-70-95mm profile suited me perfectly. No bindings had ever been mounted on them. Despite their astronomical price ($25), I decided to splurge and snatch them up. Though some readers with democratic leanings may extol the virtues of long and narrow touring skis, short and fat is definitely the way to go in constrained terrain.
I finally had time to mount a pair of NNN-BC bindings I had on hand and was eager to take these babies out for a spin. After reviewing topographic mapping and satellite imagery in the Skogan Pass area, I decided on my objective: Skogan Pass from Nakiska via Marmot Creek. I had no first-hand knowledge of the area, but I plotted out my route (photo 2 in red) following creeks and old logging roads, meeting up with the Skogan Pass Loop (photo 2 in blue) about 500m W of the Vista View (redundant name!?) picnic table. I also got an elevation profile using GPSVisualizer.com, that showed a steady incline never exceeding 15%.
I picked Monday March 21, the first full day of spring, for my adventure. It was -2C at my 0930 departure and stayed there throughout my ascent. I started with mohair kicker skins. I successfully ran the gauntlet of Nakiska checkpoints and fencing (if they're still there) by parking at the NW corner of Lot 4 North and cutting through the trees to emerge on Hidden trail at the base of the Olympic Chair. The next obstacle was traversing what appeared to be the blind landing zone of a massive jump near the bottom of the Powderface run. (Photo 3 - Note the brown XC Trail sign on the far side of the ski run at the right edge of the photo.)
About 1.3km along Skogan from the Hidden/Skogan junction, you turn left onto Marmot Creek Road. (Photo 4 - Note the small AltaLink sign on the wooden post at the right of the photo.) There were no existing tracks when I arrived. (I took the photo on my return.) Reset your tripmeter here! I followed the road and/or creek, whichever was easier. I was skiing on a thin crust base over isothermal snow, trying to stay in the shade as much as possible. Although the Little B's occasionally broke through the crust, it wasn't due to their short length. In fact, based on how easily my poles baskets were breaking through, I'd say my 180cm 89-60-78mm light touring skis would have been worse.
Mount Collembola comes into view about 750m along the road (photo 5), followed by a crossing of Marmot Creek at a washed away bridge site at the 1.2km mark (photo 6). As with Chuck's comment for his Mar 23 trip to the Giant Steps, the metal edges were useful for climbing the steep far bank of the creek. At the 1.6km mark, turn right at the T junction. (A left turn will take you to Marmot Basin.) The climb steepens somewhat and the trees close in (photo 7), but you get treated to a great view of Mount Collembola (photo 8). You're now in serious bushwhacking territory and the Little B's were loving it!
I continued ascending N, parallel to a N tributary of Marmot Creek, which for the purpose of this report I'll call Surprise Creek. At the 2.6km mark, Surprise Creek turns W, so I had to cross it in order to continue N. But instead of at most a 15-degree climb as indicated by the topo, satellite, and elevation profile data, Surprise Creek was at the bottom of a 30m-deep ravine with 40-degree sides! So I was forced to turn W as well, up the ever-steepening E slopes of Collembola with denser trees (photo 9). After about 100m with no sign of the ravine moderating, I had to choose between retreating or working my way down the ravine. (Photo 10 is pointing straight down the 40-degree ravine, with the front half of my skis in the air. Unfortunately the photo doesn't do the steepness justice.) Getting down was feasible, but it looked like a 1-way ticket. Once in the ravine there was a good chance I'd not be able to climb up either side and no guarantee I'd even be able to escape downstream. So I uncharacteristically let better judgement prevail and retreated. I kept the kicker skins on to slow my downhill speed, and to avoid using my ski edges which would have cut through the crust and into the bottomless snow underneath. Fortunately the wind had picked up and it clouded over more, which kept the crust intact.
I was disappointed not being able to complete my route, but elated at the performance of the Little B's. For consolation, I headed up to Hummingbird Plume Lookout (photos 11 and 12) before returning to the car. I can't wait for my next Little B adventure!