My fellow Mountain Guide, Nick Sharpe, and I guided, and enchained, ascents of
Coal Miner's Daughter and Silk Tassel yesterday, February 11th. No one had been
up to Coal Miner's Daughter yet this year, we broke a trail up to it. Our trail
starts in front of the cook shelter in the parking lot. The climb is in
interesting shape. A car sized shell came out from the base of it during, I'm
assuming, the recent warmth. We avoided the new window pane that has since
frozen over and accessed the climb from the climber's right edge. The ice there
is well bonded to the rock. There is a 75 cm roof to pull exiting the steep
ice, then a pleasant ramble up shallower ice to belay in the old mine shaft. An
interesting 40 meters of climbing.
Silk Tassel is big and has a good trail packed up to it. Of note was a two hour
appearance of the sun around 2 pm. The sun had some strength and given the
milder air temperatures I was happier with the cloud cover that had kept the
Sun at bay for the rest of the day. Bubble Wrap Blues was touching down and
dribbling when we trotted away, when we came back from coffee in Field at about
4 pm the sun had cracked off the first 25 meters of BWB and it was gone.
I guided an ascent of Spray River Falls today, Feb 13th. There is a well packed
trail leading to the route and making it hard, if not impossible, to get lost.
The climb is in excellent shape, big and blue.
Happy trails,
Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
www.barryblanchard.ca
www.yamnuska.com
_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The
ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in
continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable
nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information
provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions
Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
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