Archive:Misty ski trip 2009
Contents
Misty Ice Field Traverse 2009
This orphaned page is to help organize the trip being planned by Frances Sharpe, Evan Morris, Megan Anderson, Greta Raymont, Ben Singleton-Polster.
We are planning a ski traverse of the Misty Icefield from April 25 to May 3, 2009. We are going to be travelling North to South: from Chief Paul FSR in the Lillooet River Valley, across the icefields, and exiting logging roads in the Corbold Creek drainage down to the town of Alvin, where we will arrange a ride with the Pitt River Water Taxi to be dropped off across the lake at Grant Narrows. More details of the route can be found below.
Tasks
Done:
- Direction of traverse - N to S
- Our main contact while on the trip (for avi/weather updates, emergencies) - Christian Champagne. Evan/Greta to give Champagne a detailed trip plan.
- 1:20,000 maps --> covers all but approach to Icemantle glacier, and the last half of the ridge going down to Pitt river.
- Boat ride has been arranged for May 3 for sometime in the afternoon. We can call them 778 785-1491 or 604 629-9884 if we want to make the time earlier, later or if we want to get picked up on the logging road.
- Transport there: Bob Lai Will drive a rental van up the logging road. Evan and Bob will pick up the van Friday night.
->made it up 200m of logging road, dropped the crew off & returned the rental van.
- Transport back: Christian Champagne will drive a rental van to Pitt lake in the early afternoon (approx. 1.30pm) on Sunday May 3rd to pick us up. Christian to book van.
- Maps - E&G have the two 1:50000, Ben has one 1:50000. Missing 92G16. Evan will print some extra copies too at work.
- Plan backup plans and escape routes.
- Sat phone rental - Frances got it.
- Research no.s to call on sat phone for weather.
Personal Gear
- Backback of course, ~70-80L?
Personal Clothing
- 2 pairs socks
- 2 pairs underwear
- 1 warm lower
- 1 base lower (preferred light, to wear in the sun)
- 1 shell lower
- 1 warm upper
- 1/2 base upper (preferred light, high collar, to wear in the sun)
- 1 shell upper
- toque/balaclava
- down jacket
- 1 pair gloves with removable liners
- 1 pair overmit shells
- 1 pair lightweight gloves to protect hands from sun
- optional gaiters
- camp booties (or equivalent)
Personal Skiing Gear
- Skiis
- Skins
- Poles
- Boots + Liners
- Beacon
- Shovel
- Probe
Personal Small bits
- Voile Straps (3 each - one medium one large one small)
- Sunglasses
- Goggles if preferred
- Sunscreen
- Sunhat/sunshield/bandana
- toothbrush
- toothpaste
- TP if you fancy
- spf30 or better Lip Balm
- Duct tape
- knife
- lighter
- menstrual cup for the ladies (better than disposables - if it works for you)
- Birth control (If ya use the stuff)
- whistle
- Compass
- Headlamp spare batteries
- Camera spare batteries
- Cash for emergency/boat ride/food - min $100 each.
Personal Sleeping
- Sleeping Pad - thermarest
- Sleeping Bag and liner
Eating
- Bowl/measuring cup
- Spoon
- Nalgenes
- Water Bladder
Mountain Gear
- 1 iceaxe each
- Harnesses
- Ski crampons (or regular crampons will suffice)
- 2 prussiks each
- 2 locking biners each
- 2 double length slings each
- 2 non-lockers
- 2 prussik minding pulleys total & 2 regular - Evan and Ben to bring
- 5-10m rap tat each
Not bringing
- Snowsaw
- Pickets
- Rock Pro
- Belay Device
- Helmets (--> now Ben wants to bring them - discuss on Wednesday?)
Group Gear
Cooking Stuff
- 2x pots - Ben will bring a 2L and a 3L
- 2x stoves - Ben's Simmerlite and Meghan's Whisperlite
- Fuel: Each person to bring 2x600mL bottles (Ben/Meghan to bring stove bottles)
- 1x pot scrapers - Greta
- 1x spondonacles - Ben
General Group Gear
- 2x 30m ropes - Evan and Ben
- 2 Tents (Meghan's Tarn 3, Ben's 2p superlight tent)
- Globstopper/purple monster - 2 blocks?
- Maps - buy 1:50000 and print on paper, 1:20000 - Frances
- Guidebook - photocopy relavent peaks - Greta
- GPS with lots of spare batteries - Ben AND program waypoints!!
- Altimeter - Evan's watch
- Sat phone - need to sort out rental - Frances
Repair kit
- Tent Repair - pole sleeve only
- Binding repair (Evan has G3 repair kit, Ben to bring extra cable and heelthrow; should we get a toe plate??)
- Wire
- Spare basket
- thermarest patch kit - Ben
First Aid Kit
- Greta to organize first aid kit:
Drugs:
- T3 pain killers - Ben
- Cephalexen (broad spectrum antibiotic) - Ben
- ibuprofen - Evan
- Antihistamines - Evan
Bandaging:
- 12 bandaids
- 2nd skin blister pads - Greta to buy
- 2 of 3x3", 4x4", 2x2", and 5x5" gauze swabs
- polysporin
- moleskin
- triangular bandage
- tensor bandage
- small roll of gauze
- emergency blanket
- steri strips
- tweezers
- 4 cleaning swabs
Entertainment
- Ben will bring a mini deck of cards
- Evan will bring a book
Food
Meal Requirements
- The current plan is for 8-9 days which requires:
- 8 Breakfasts (all cold!)
- 9 Lunches
- 8 Dinners - must be vegetarian
- Emergency food? (i.e. cliff bars)
All dinners will be shared!
Dinner 1 - Greta - spaghetti with veggie/bean bolognase sauce and parmesan cheese
Dinner 2 - Greta - cous cous meal
Dinner 3 - Frances - Burritos (probably should be first meal?)
Dinner 4 - Frances - Curry/coconut quinoa
Dinner 5 - Evan - Italian soy mix pasta
Dinner 6 - Meghan - alfredo pasta
Dinner 7 - Meghan- Chili and couscous
Dinner 8 - Ben - Pesto Pasta
Supplements
- 2 servings Protein Goo per day - what is protein goo?
- multivitamin
- electrolyte supplements
- Frances is bringing vitamin C and echinacea
Extras
- Extra salt and pepper
- Teas
- Candy? mmm
- Juice crystals
Trip Plan
Transportation
Getting there: Bob Lai (tawcan at gmail dot com) is driving a rental van with our sorry asses in it to the Chief Paul FSR. Leaving early Sat Apr 25.
Getting home:
Boat: the Pitt River Water Taxi will pick us up from Alvin and boat us to Grant Narrows on May 3
Pitt River Lodge at the town of Alvin - directions: http://pittriverlodge.com/gettinghere.html.
Christian Champagne (details below) has offered to pick us up if the schedule works out.
Need to get picked up at "Grant Narrows" - a dock at the end of Pitt Lake, end of the Rennie Rd. Pickup time is currently scheduled as 1:30pm Sun May 3.
Email sent to the folks here http://www.pittriverwatertaxi.com/ on April 20, 2009. They are willing to give us a lift for a nominal fee!
Bus options: From Maple ridge, take bus 701 (Dewdney Trunk Rd), the change to 160 at Coquitlam Central Stn, then change to a bus downtown.
Route
From Pemberton, drive southeast on the Lillooet Lake Road for about 30 km to the bridge at Tenas Narrows. Cross the bridge and turn left onto the West Lillooet Road. Follow the West Lillooet road to the Chief Paul Creek Road. The road has yellow km posts every km. Chief Paul Road: From Tenas Narrows bridge, drive down the West Lillooet River Road. When you see the km 50 signpost, start looking for the road. The beginning is at km 50.8. If you get to Snowcap Creek, which is just after km 51, you've gone to far. This road will be used to reach the alpine, and if needed will be used to retreat if we choose to turn around.
We will be following the route listed in Baldwin's most recent book: "Exploring the Coast Mountain on Skis".
Possible Escape Routes:
1. Spur roads that climb the ridge North of Shale Cr.
2. Other logging roads in the Pitt valley?
3. It’s also possible to go down the main branch of Corbold creek, although getting to the valley bottom requires descending some very steep slopes (45deg) with possible short rappels. The valley bottom is also a bushwack alderfest until you reach the road. Possibly newer logging roads on the South side of the creek that are not on the maps.
4. Returning via the Chief Paul Road if we decide to turn back within the first few days.
Maps:
Approximate maps of our intended route:
References
http://www.ubc-voc.com/wiki/Misty_Icefield
http://cascadeclimbers.com/forum/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=781019
NTS maps with the planned alpine route: 92G16, 92G15, 92G10
Contacts en route
Christian Champagne: 604-562-3235, christian dot champagne at gmail dot com
We will phone him 6-6:30pm Wednesday Apr 29 to get updated avi and weather/to check in.
We will also phone him Saturday night May 2 around 7-8pm to confirm return details for Sunday.
Pitt River Water Taxi: 778-785-1491 or 604-629-9884, Ask for Earl or Bobbie.
Our Satellite phone number (though for most of the trip it will be turned off): First dial 1-480-768-2500, then after the announcement dial 88-163-158-1075.
Overdue date - Monday May 4th, 10pm
They are considered overdue, and rescue/emergency contacts should be called if they don't make contact by Monday May 4, 2009 at 10pm, and attempts to contact them via the sat phone fail.
SPECIAL NOTE: Christian Champagne, if we havent made contact by 10pm on Sunday, May 4th, could you please email or phone Ben, Greta and Evans's workplaces to notify them we won't be at work on Monday May 4th.
EMERGENCY CONTACTS
Ben Singleton Polster
Name: Genevieve Singleton
Relationship: Mother
Day Phone: 250 746 8052
Cell Phone: 250 701 1054
Email: twinflower [] telus.net
Frances Sharpe
Name: Heather McCoy/Ian Sharpe
Relationship: Parents
Day Phone: 250.877.9237 (cell)
Evening Phone: 250.847.8971 (home)
Email: sharpemccoy -!at1 - telus.net
Evan Morris & Greta Raymant
Name: Dolores Antonsen
Relationship: Evan's Mother
Day Phone: 604 591 9579 (home)
Email: delrose & lightspeed.ca
Meghan Anderson
Name: Morris and Joyce Anderson
Relationship: My parents
Day Phone: 1-819-465-2128 (home)
Email: [email protected]
People to inform if something unexpected happens
Emergency contacts (above)
Ben's work: Thurber Engineering 604 684 4384
Evan's work: PBA Engineering 604 408 7222, Contact Ian
Greta's work: Moerman Lab in Life Sciences Bldg at UBC, contact Angela Tardiff 604 822 5582
Progress Update
Monday, April 27th
11:40 am: Received a satellite call from Ben
- The group will be splitting into two:
- Ben & Frances
- Evan, Greta & Meghan
Ben's Group
- Ben's group will be returning via the same route they came from Pemberton.
- They will arrange a way to get transportation back to Vancouver.
- They will not have any method of contact.
- Planning to ski out by mid Saturday, March 3rd
- If there's no news from them by Saturday, March 3rd @ 10 pm, call RCMP for rescue.
Evan's Group
- Evan's group will be continuing on their planned route.
- They will have the satellite phone.
Wednesday, April 29th
11:50 am: Received a satellite call from Evan
- Gave them the Whistler Alpine weather forecast
- Group progressed a lot faster than anticipated due to icecrust
- Currently @ Piluk Glacier.
- Still planning to head out by Sunday.
- Will received another call to discuss transportation plan back to Vancouver.
Thursday, April 30th
5:45 pm: Received an email from Ben that they're back.
Friday, May 1st
3:00 pm: Cell call from Evan saying the rest of the group have arrived back.
