Wednesday, June 26, 2024

Russian Peak with Nikko - Bingham Lake, Statue Lake

 




Went off of this link to get beta for Russian Peak (via Bingham Lake)

https://www.summitpost.org/russian-peak-via-bingham-lake/166206


Bingham Lake is a pretty easy hike in... good for first time backpackers?  The last section is steep, so poles would help.  

Strava:

Day 1 - to Statue Lake https://www.strava.com/activities/11746704578

Day 2 - up Russian Peak - https://www.strava.com/activities/11746705865


Sunday, February 25, 2024

Oh Canada! Back to Sunrise Hut - my 4th trip to a GAH hut

 



My 4th time to the Golden Alpine Huts in Canada. Safe to say, it's one of my favorite spots.  And second time to Sunrise Hut which was my first Golden Alpine hut.

Year 4 - 2023 - Sunrise Hut - this one!

Timeline:

Feb 15 - Banff Sunshine - Strava

Feb 16 - Sunrise day 1 - strava - Main Course (3500 ft)

Beers in Canada is expensive, egh?

staging at the helipad


Feb 17 - Sunrise day 2 - strava - Cupola Day (7500 ft)

beautiful day = let's go up high.  Staring at Melting Faces right from the hut

mid-pillowtown
The day usually ended inside "el Gordo"

Night shot of Melting Faces and Cupola Peak

Feb 18 - Sunrise day 3 - strava - Sunrise lap (main course), then melting faces (6000 ft)

got out for a solo pre-brekky sunrise lap to soak in the mtn air

this is what the boot room looks like

Barton on the shoulder of Melting Faces

Crab getting gnar

we all took similar pics... 

One small downside of life at Sunrise is the yolking is much farther than at other huts.  This requires you to go break the ice, get some water from the lake, then skin back up hauling 70 lbs or so of water balanced on your neck while skinning slightly uphill...

but this view from the shitter makes up for it

Feb 19 - Sunrise day 4 - strava- Melting Faces, Pillow town (5000 ft)



hut life

Feb 20 - Sunrise day 5 - strava - Pano Dome Desecration (4500 ft)

The day started off clear, but we knew clouds were going to roll in... so we decided to stay low and near the hut and ski Pano Dome

which we saved for a storm day like today

Clouds rolling in = flat light... 

after some lunch time beers...

it was time to fly

weehaw!

serious Jenga action

Feb 21 - Sunrise day 6 - strava - Margaritaville (4000 ft)

the clouds that came were supposed to clear, so we took our chanced and headed up...

and had another amazing day

Kevin showing off his burrito

liars dice... we must've ran out of the keg...

Dave drank it all...

Feb 22 - Sunrise day 7 - strava - Cairn, Melting Faces, Corn Chutes, Pillow Town, Pig Pen (5000 ft)

last morning at Sunrise... started off beautifully

Brekfast of champions.  Paula is an amazing cook that we hired for the week. She's critical to an amazing hut trip.  

some talented folks leaving some art

...

We decided to get out for a few Melting Faces laps to start



This was a bit scary in a no fall zone... you can probably see this spot in the pic from tomorrow am

last of my brew

Enjoying our last sunset at the hut

my happy place

We came home to a "ski-cuterie" plate... 

ah mazing!





left notes for the next users...

Feb 23 - Kicking Horse day 1 - strava

The morning light proudly showed off my line from yesterday on Melting Faces.  The folks coming in were a bit awestruck

The human pyramid


Another benefit of Sunrise is that we are the first ones out...

so we made it to Kicking Horse for half  a day! Which was amazing!

and we decided to do some Canadian Bowling

while Sena took a nap

Feb 24 - Kicking Horse day 2 - strava

Some dutch wallet action
It's kinda sketch...
but very unique and the terrain below it is spectacular
we got to the airport and realized we haven't had some poutine

and soon we were back in SFO