The Little B's, the Three Elks, and Tobermory Cabin! (Part 1)
Trip date: Monday Apr 01, 2024
Submitted by Little Bs
Particpants:
The Little B's and Dad (Mike W)
Discussion:
We were jealous that Dad took his new friends, the Sporten Explorer 64s, on two trips to distant cabins: Cuthead and Little Pipestone ( https://www.skierroger.ca/index.php?content=showski_special&id=2982 https://www.skierroger.ca/index.php?content=showski_special&id=3023 ). It's been a long time since we visited a cabin and wanted to join the fun. So imagine our excitement when Dad asked us to go with him to Tobermory Cabin in BC on a route that to the best of his knowledge had not been done before. We love exploring! MaSid suggested it a month or two ago. Dad expected it would be his toughest tour this winter: 18km of trailbreaking, reports of very sticky snow, and searching for a way down the unexplored Tobermory Creek. As an added bonus, we'd get to revisit out good friends, the Three Elks! ( https://www.skierroger.ca/index.php?content=showski_special&id=2098 )
We arrived at the Elk Pass parking lot at 0810, under sunny skies, calm winds, and a temperature of -7C. No one else there. Reports said the Elk Pass trail had been trashed by hikers, but we saw only a few shallow footprints. We followed hard (but not icy) tracks made by AT (All-Terrain) skis and made good progress to the Hydroline junction. Dad had checked Nordic Pulse at 0530; nothing had been groomed that night. So imagine our delight when we saw Hydroline freshly groomed, glistening in the morning sun, as yet untouched by skier, snowshoer, or hiker! We don't normally rave over groomed trails; we prefer the untracked wilderness. In any case, we're too wide to fit in the tracks. But today's grooming was a work of art; a masterpiece of peerless beauty! We carefully lowered ourselves into the tracks for a photo-op.