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THE COMPLETE COAST RANGE SKI TRAVERSE
| Trip Length: |
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5 ½ months |
| Trip Dates: |
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February 2- July 16, 2001 |
| Report Submitted By: |
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Guy Edwards |
| Participants Names: |
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John Millar, Vance Culbert, Guy Edwards, Lena Rowat, Dan Clark, Kari Medig, Cecelia Mortenson, Heather Culbert |
| Sponsors Names: |
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G3, W.L. Gore, MEC, Intuition Sports, CHF, Serratus, MSR, ITMB |
| Route Followed: |
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Mistys, Garibaldi Divide, Pemberton, Lillooet, Homathko, Klinaklini, Monarch, Bella Coola, Tweedsmuir Divide, Mt. Atna, Terrace, Shames Mountain, Kinskuch, Cambria, Salmon Glacier, Eskay, Hoodoo Mountain, Choquette Glacier, Great Glacier, Devils Thumb, Sheppard Peak, Wright Glacier, Taku Glacier, Juneau Icefield. We finished the route by hiking the Chilkoot Trail to the headwaters of the Yukon River. |
G3 Equipment Used:
G3 High Performance Climbing Skins, G3 Universal Shims and Climbing Heels |
Comments on Gear Performance:
Love the tail attachment system! And our skins worked well considering the spring conditions and saturated snow. The shims worked well after 5 ½ months, we had no binding rip-outs! |
Trip Description:
From Feb 2nd, 2001 to July 16th, 2001, we traversed the spine of the Coast Range Mountains from Vancouver, BC, to Skagway Alaska. The trip was 2015km in length, and was done primarily on skis.
The Coast Range is a very rugged mountain range, which receives a lot of precipitation, and thus is very heavily glaciated. Many of the sections of our route had been traveled before, by such explorers as Dave Williams, Markus Kellerhas, John Baldwin, John Clark and others. However, the 400km section from Bella Coola to Terrace, as well as sections near the Iskut River, Stikine River, and Whiting River had not previously been traversed.
The whole route was travelled in a self-propelled manner except for the crossings of the Iskut River, Stikine River, and the Whiting River. Twenty-four food caches were prepared, nine of which were placed by helicopter or ski plane.
We climbed 14 peaks on route, including first ascents of Stadium Peak and Peak "Such A Long Journey". As well, we made four attempts on the Devil's Thumb, but were not successful - blaming it on the limitations of our lightweight ski gear. Numerous steep slopes, icefalls, glaciers, and other obstacles were encountered and negotiated - the trip was a mountain traverse.
Initially four people started: Dan Clark, Vance Culbert, Guy Edwards, and John Millar. After one month, while skiing down to the Homathko River, Dan Clark was badly injured in a fall - and could not continue on the trip. Kari Medig continued with the group as a new fourth member from the Klinaklini Glacier to Terrace. In Terrace, Kari departed, and Lena Rowat joined as the new fourth. On the Stikine River, Cecelia Mortensen joined as a fifth, travelling all the way to Skagway, and from the Taku River to Skagway, Heather Culbert joined us.
Highlights included repeated bathing in icy rivers and glacial ponds, being tent bound and food deprived for four days on the Klinaklini Icefield, cracker crumb wars, seeing the south face of Monarch Mountain, travelling the Cambria and Juneau Icefields in whiteout conditions unable to see anything, negotiating the avalanches through the "Wicked Valleys", skiing bare glacial ice, shoulder stands, and enjoying the wilderness of SE Alaska/NW BC. Living as a small-contained group with little outside contact for five and a half months was a challenge in itself.
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