• Destination: Bow Hut (c7900')
• Date: January 01-05, 2012
• Starting Point: Bow Lake (c.6300')
• High Point: Mt Gordon (10508')
• Distance: c.3.7 miles one way to Bow Hut
• Equipment: The ten essentials, skis, ice axe, whiskey
• Difficulties: Glacier travel, whiteout conditions, high winds
• Crew: Jason Griffith, Steve Trent, Scott Bingen, Lynn Martel

Ever since a full traverse of the Wapta in 2006 (where I didn't climb anything), I've wanted to go back and stand on a few of the higher summits. The schedules of Steve and Scott meshed with mine this winter and a plan was hatched to go to the Bow and Peyto huts, and attempt to ski and climb some of the peaks along the Wapta Icefield.

We left early on New Year's day, which happened to be a good time to leave as the traffic on the Trans Can was minimal the whole way to Lake Louise. It took us about 10 hours or so of driving, and we stayed the night in the Mosquito Creek Hostel north of Lake Louise. No power, but heat and decent accommodations. The outhouse was COLD, however.

Early the next morning we awoke to clear skies and met Lynn from Canmore for the ski in to Bow hut. The scenery is spectacular right off the bat, and it only took about 3 hours to get to the comfortable (wood heat!), well-situated, and empty hut. We dropped overnight gear and prepared to head up to Mt. Gordon for a peak bagging warm up (it is a ski up). While the temps were moderate for winter Wapta standards (-10C), the winds were "extra special for the Wapta" according to Lynn. I think it took us about 3 hours to get to the summit of Gordon, fighting an intense headwind the whole way. But the views and solitude made up for the discomfort, amazing!!

We skied down to the hut in the fading light, and enjoyed some fine food, wine, and company by the fire. Huts are just so civilized.

That evening it started to snow and blow, and that would be a theme for the remainder of our trip. Plans were scrapped for the Peyto hut, and we skied around the hut in flat light, snow and wind, for two days before pulling the plug and leaving a day early (in an intensifying snow storm). On one of those days, we did summit the "Onion" above the hut, but Gordon was the only major summit we managed to get up on our trip. Such is life on the Wapta in Winter, I suppose. We will be back, although probably in later winter or spring next time!

Skiing across Bow lake en route to the hut:

Mt. St. Nicholas:

Skinning up onto the Wapta in that "extra special" wind:

Steve below Mt. Rhonda:

Steve and Scott, with Mt. Collie in the background:

Baker and Rhonda on the right, not sure of the prominent peak in the back center:

Mt. Olive:

View north from the summit of Gordon (~10,500')

Hector lake and Mt. Hector:

The view west into the maelstrom from the top of Gordon:

Skiing back to the hut with a strong tailwind:

Hut life!:

Ptarmigan that lived around the hut:

Strong winds on the "Onion":

Leaving the hut in the continuing storm:

Skiing back across Bow Lake:

Stuck in the avalanche control back-up on the west side of Rogers Pass: