1 comment(s) posted
Add a comment
Print report
Comments (most recent towards the top):
2024-03-24 at 21:21 - comment by ulrikeski
Wow, admirable perseverance, Mike. I would've given up. We skied Skogan Pass loop on LT skis a couple of years ago starting from Deadman's Flats over Skogan Pass, down the trackset S side and finished at Kananaskis Village. A friend broke trail on the North side with AT skis the day before, we had fresh snow coverage and a pickup at Kananaskis Village.
You did it the tough way!
Skogan Pass and Loop from the North
Report Submitted by Mike W
(trip) Date: Saturday Mar 23, 2024
Submitted: Sunday Mar 24, 2024 at 19:13
Participants:
Me and my Sportens
Discussion:
After my crusty trip on my new Sporten skis to Cuthead Cabin (
https://www.skierroger.ca/index.php?content=showski&id=2982&rownum=2710 ), I wanted to try the Sportens out on softer snow, both ungroomed and machine trackset. I hadn't been to Skogan Pass yet this winter, so I thought accessing it from the North (near Deadman's Flats) would do the trick: Trailbreaking up the N side and skiing the trackset Skogan Loop.
With the groomers reporting 10cm of fresh snow at the bottom and 20cm at the top, I was concerned about the amount of trailbreaking I'd have to do on the N side. I needn't have worried. The problem was lack of snow! At the bottom there was only 1cm of fresh snow over ice, dirt, and rocks. I had to walk the first km! As well, there were recent snowmobile tracks frozen into an icy crust along with rocks that the snowmobiles had kicked up.
Total distance: 27.00 Km
Once I put the skis back on, the snowmobile tracks changed from a liability to an asset. I was able to set a shallow track on top of the snow packed down by the snowmobiles.
The higher I got, the more snow there was on the snowmobile track and the skiing became quite pleasant.
Great views from Skogan Pass, if only I could see them!
After skiing Skogan Loop, I returned down the N side, with snow already filling up my tracks.
The descent down the frozen snowmobile tracks was a true survival skiing experience. Type 3 fun? The trail map near the parking lot shows the route.
|
