EGYPT LAKE WARDEN CABIN #23 WITH GLORIOUS CRUST SKIING ON HEALY PASS

Trip date: Thursday May 12, 2022

Submitted by DEMOCRATIZE AB

Particpants:

THE CHAMPION FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF YOU RIGHT TO INTRODUCE AND VOTE ON GOVERNMENT BILLS ON ROSSIGNOL BC59 METAL EDGE SKIS WITH RATTLY ROTEFFELA STEP IN BINDINGS AND SMALL TO MEDIUM BASKETS ON MY POLES

Discussion:

MID AFTERNOON/ NIGHT SKI


I took the old Sunshine Village ski out to the Healy Pass trail junction. It is getting a little thin and the new ski out is recommended to access the Healy Pass Trail as it has much more snow. Coming out at night I took the new ski out but had to take the skis off to get up to it as there was a bare patch.

The trail from the old ski out to the first bridge has 45 cm to 60 cm of snow on it. It should hold out for at least a week with below normal temperatures. I skied across the creek on a solid snow bridge. My small pole baskets would sink off the trail to the ground in some areas. On the trail there was a excellent supporting base on this section of the trail. I followed a fresh Sow Grizzly track with a cub. We are talking real fresh with the tracks being only a couple of hours old at the very most, possibly much less judging by the snow crystals thrown around. This was classic Canadian Rocky Mountain grizzly tracking spring skiing. Thankfully the Grizzlies took the Simpson trail and this enabled me to pick up my pace going up Healy Pass without worrying about bumping into them around a corner. I certainly did not want to stress them out with a run in. They must have been heading to the Simpson River area or Kootenay River to feed on ants. Their tracks indicated they were on a mission with no stops.

Beyond the first bridge the snow deepens and gets so deep it is hard to find the trail further up, particularly beyond the campsite. Trail blazes are buried for the most part beyond the campground. There has been recent snowfall on the trail beyond the first bridge that added up to several cm's of new snow making for smooth skiing. The trail had a firm base with wet surfing style newer snow on top in the day and at night it was crusty with breakable crust in some areas where the newer snow was deeper.

There was nice firm snow on Healy Pass with newer snow on top. After sunset Healy Pass was fantastic to ski as it was as smooth as a baby's butt with a crust hard enough not to sink through but giving great edging. This was Alberta May crust skiing at its finest. I was cruising all over the place coming down after sunset greatly enjoying the evening colored sky and 2/3 moon.

The skiing down Healy Pass to Egypt Lake warden cabin was very nice and the snow was wet. Coming up at night it was mainly crusty.

There was so much snow at the Warden cabin that I had to drop down about 5-1/2 feet to the cabin deck. The temperature was +4 at the warden cabin with clearing skies when I arrived.