Canoe/Hike/Ski Marble Meadows
Day 1 (to base camp)
We met up at Art’s place, got loaded up and left Victoria at 1pm. Drove 4.5hrs to the lake, and went canoeing across Buttle lake by 6pm. Once across the lake, there was a great marine campsite with 4 campsites, benches and a pit toilet. We were the only ones there, where we setup base camp and had dinner (That Chris had prepped: tacos).
Day 2 (base camp to hut)
We had set our alarms for 5am, got up, took down the bear hang (where I forgot to grab my dinner for that night) had coffee and breakfast, then set out hiking at 6:30am. The trail was a constant grade, sloping upwards into the mountains, and was very green. At 1000m elevation we got consistent enough snow, and switched to skis. Skiing the remaineder of the up, crossing some avi slides, and then along in the alpine to hut. We dug out the hut to the point we could open the door (it had been mostly done by a group before us), and then Art kept digging it out after we’d settled in and got unpacked.
8hrs in motion.
Day 3 (descent)
We’d set a 6am alarm, but we hit snooze a few times, and everyone moving by 6:30. We ate breakfast and cleaned the hut, and were out on our skis by 8:15am, leaving the hut in good shape for the next group We reduced our plans from Mnt McBride to Marble Mountain, but jut class 5 terrain 30m from the peak, so we settled for our local high point, and some good turns down the hill. Once off the alpine ridge, and down the steeper approach, the snow got heavy and hard to turn in, the more enjoyable turns were on gentler slopes. Got to our stashed boots, switched to hiking, and promptly made our way to the basecamp, the canoe, and then the car.
7.5hrs in motion.
Future Trip Edits
- remember dinner and spoon from basecamp
- tea bags are a light luxury
- slightly more arch support in ski boots (to avoid blisters)
- more bungies for backpack (colourful?)
