Add a comment
Print report
tour out of Pocaterra
Report Submitted by gh
(trip) Date: Wednesday Jan 24, 2024
Submitted: Wednesday Jan 24, 2024 at 21:12
Participants:
just me
Discussion:
I started out from Pocaterra hut heading to Elk Pass via Tyrwhitt. From there I did a figure 8 of Hydro Line / Patterson back to Elk Pass and then back to the hut enjoying the long mostly gentle down hill. I found the conditions fairly fast and my blue wax was working well on the recently groomed trails. I averaged 6.9 km/h which for me was my second fastest average speed at PLPP. I did see MaSid's track off of Patterson but I elected to stay on the groomed trails as that was working so well.
I encountered a large group (10) of snow shoe hikers hiking up Hydro line to Elk Pass as I reached it for the first time. There was no one around to give them a ticket. The excuse this time: Snow shoe trail is "impassible" because apparently snow shoes are not good in deep snow.
Total distance: 40.30 Km
6 comment(s) posted
Comments:
2024-01-25 at 08:35 - comment by MaSid
Well done GH, a nice long (and fast) ski! Snowshoers had also previously wandered into parts of Patterson meadows as well as west elk, mucking up portions of nicely skier set tracks.
With a group of 10, surprised they can’t figure out that if everyone took a five minute lead busting trail, they’d get to the pass with ease, save a tonne of energy and have it all nicely packed for the next group. Not team players.
Think I’ll add a “note for snowshoers” section to the elk pass touring guide encouraging some learning.
2024-01-26 at 17:07 - comment by JillJ
Snowshoer here adding to your comment about my kin snowshoeing up Hydroline - Hydroline is a multi-user trail so they have every right to be there. However, they must not tread on the ski tracks. I make it very clear to my buddies that breaking down the tracks make for dangerous situations for skiers especially if it happens at the bottom of a hill. I have likened it to all of a sudden finding out that the train track or roller coaster track is missing a big piece! I get quite annoyed when I see your tracks stomped down where our trails cross yours. I hope I am not missing something in your post.
 PLPP Elk Pass map
2024-01-26 at 17:23 - comment by MaSid
The snow shoe trail is 50 feet west of the hydroline groomed trail, up against the trees. The multi use (shared) section is the short hill at the north end. The map does not do it justice, or make it easy to realize the two are separate. The snowshoe signs on the trail are also very small. Can’t fault people for not knowing when it isn’t clear and obvious. But if you do know, but make other choices because of the effort involved……
2024-01-27 at 15:28 - comment by JillJ
Thanks for that clarification. It has been a while since I've been up there and will pass along your description of where the trail is to any snowshoers who are thinking of going to Elk Pass.
2024-01-27 at 16:31 - comment by Mike W
MaSid - If the snowpack there is anything like what we found yesterday in Paradise Valley, I don't think taking turns breaking trail would have worked. They probably would have crashed through the upside-down snowpack and had major difficulty extracting their snowshoes with each step. It's also a chicken-and-egg issue: If prior groups had been consistently using the snowshoe trail, it would have been packed down enough to make travel easy for later groups. As you pointed out, that's partly the fault of the tiny snowshoe trail signs, as well as the (old) map that makes it look like the snowshoe and ski trails coincide, and the poor directions provided by the ACC. The ACC directions and map at https://www.alpineclubofcanada.ca/elk-lakes-cabin have recently improved, but they need to emphasize that the section along the hydroline is a separate trail from the ski trail.
Day snowshoers encountering bad conditions should turn around and go elsewhere rather than snowshoeing on the ski trail. But I do sympathize with those heading to Elk Lakes Cabin for a multi-day trip; they need to get up to the pass. I think the best way to solve the problem is to periodically snowmobile-pack the snowshoe trail (and have bigger snowshoe trail signs). It would be nice if Alberta Parks did this, but ultimately it should be the ACC's responsibility to ensure that their cabin is accessible by snowshoers if they book the cabin to snowshoers. For example, the ACC is responsible for packing and tracksetting the Redearth Creek trail to their Shadow Lake Lodge.
2024-01-27 at 16:57 - comment by MaSid
The snowshoe trail paralleling hydroline has already been broken, prior to the last snow storm and is visible as a snow covered trail. Should be solid enough. A small portion of the north end has been recently broken by snow shoers. Someone just needs to get on it for the whole length.
|
