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Alberta
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Alberta
50 public items in this list
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Chester Lake Ski Tour
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Hero's Knob (Sweet 16, Mount Murray)
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Healy Pass (Sunshine slack country, Egypt Lake view point)
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Rummel Lake Trail
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Mount Engadine Burnt Trees
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Wawa ridge tree chutes (Wawa ridge, Healy Pass chutes)
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Panorama Ridge (Taylor Lake Ski Tour)
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Black Prince
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Helena Ridge Ski Tour (Helena Ridge, Helena shoulder, Helena glades)
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Smuts Pass (Smutwood Peak Trail, Mount Smuts, Birdwood/Smutwood Col)
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Commonwealth Loop (Pig Back, Commonwealth Col, Commonwealth Couloir Approach)
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Superslope (Superslope, The Fist)
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Tryst Chutes
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Purple Knob
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Trident Couloir (Panorama Peak Couloirs)
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Miner's Couloir (Town Gully, Canmore Couloir)
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Commonwealth Couloir
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Chester Lake Couloir
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Bell Couloir
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Chockstone Couloir (Rockbound Lake Couloir)
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Delirium Dive
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Skoki Lodge Access
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Oxo Puzzle Peak
OXO Puzzle Peak, Ramp Runs This large officially unnamed peak is found northeast of Dolomite Pass and its southeast shoulder offers plenty of great skiing options. The name “Puzzle Peak” was only ever “suggested” in the 1940’s and first climbed by E. Cromwell and Miss G. Engelhard in 1941; “OXO (Puzzle) Peak” appears in the summit register along with barely any registered climbs. The name “OXO Peak” now shows up on many online maps. The big ramp is visible from the road as you drive past Mount Hector and is hard to ignore as a skier. Once in the area you can get many laps in, as the area is quite large. The greater area would serve well for an AST 2 field day, as there are plenty of micro features to work on the way up and lots of big terrain close by. Vertical: 900m access to the top, 400m run. Distance: 4.5km access to the top, 1km run. Directions: From the Parks Canada gate at the start of 93N drive about 24km and park roadside. Follow the open tree lane ways in the lower forest which head almost directly north while slightly trending climber’s right. After roughly 1.5km and 200m vertical you will either reach the lower open slopes of Dolomite Shoulder or at the very least see them through the forest if you ended up a little too east. Follow the trim line heading north before seeing the first drainage heading east and down towards Mosquito Creek. Continue north and then northeast over the ever-increasing rolling terrain before reaching the next drainage which you can begin to follow until escaping treeline. Above the end of the steeper walled drainage you will find an alpine area filled with rolling bumps, ramps and benches which can be worked almost all the way to the top of the run, otherwise you can head further north along the disappearing drainage and skin directly up the slope of your choosing. Skiing the slope is nearly the same regardless where you go down and to exit back to the road follow your access route.
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West Nile
If you're looking for a short approach, some yo-yo'ing, or playful terrain - West Nile is the place for you. Just be aware that these are slide paths and there is a lot of exposure from overhead. These are big slide paths. Be aware of the overhead danger. These slopes should be avoided if you suspect solar heating/wind loading is a factor. ______ West Nile A classic ski area with some great tree/glade skiing, which can be a good option when avalanche conditions aren’t favourable. It should be noted that avalanches can sometimes reach deep into the forest here and could take out previously untouched forest terrain, limiting overhead danger should still be considered when skiing here. Vertical: 250m access,200m runs. Distance: 2km access, 0.4km runs. Directions: From the Parks Canada gate at the start of 93N drive about 22.5km to reach the parking lot for Mosquito Creek Hostel. Head southwest through the forest (or use one of the several trail/walkways in the area) before crossing an open area, which is bordered by the Bow River. After crossing the river the forest will start to become a mountainside and just under 1km of distance and roughly 200m vertical gained you will be near the top of the glade/tree runs of West Nile. The better skiing that I have found has been south of the Grand Daddy fan and north of the southern avalanche paths, which extend down to the valley flats.
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West Nile: Avalanche Paths
Alpine Fans and Avalanche Paths. Above the West Nile area you will be hard pressed not to notice the fans and their avalanche paths, which can reach far into the forest below. Even if you don’t start higher up on the alpine fans you still get a fair amount of vertical for the little effort involved in lapping the lower runout zones. Remember to consider the overhead exposure, after all there is a reason there are no trees here! Vertical: 300-450m access, 350m runs (or more if really pushing the alpine). Distance: 2-2.5km access, up to 0.8km runs. Directions: Follow the directions for West Nile (page 151). Once at the trim line you can either traverse the area to find a runout to your liking or skin higher up onto the alpine fans to extend your run. Some of the longer runouts are now found to the south of the main West Nile area, if looking to head there directly then trend more south after the river crossing to arrive near the bottom of the main runout.
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Bow Summit: Fireroad Trees
Bow Summit The ultimate classic area on the 93N and the site of the first posted avalanche bulletin back in the 30s. The easy, short access, varied terrain and fun laps make it a perfect place to ski some great snow and test pieces. It is often the first area to get enough snow to get some turns in and sometimes the pocketed north aspects will hold enough snow for “skiing” until late summer. Generally speaking this area is very busy in early and late seasons but seems to be forgotten outside those times, likely due to people getting sick of going there in fall and early winter. Parking Style: Peyto Lake (Bow Summit) parking lot or roadside Fireroad Trees The tree area directly below the summer trail has short access and descent skiing once the trees have been filled in. Although this area may feel isolated from avalanche danger the upper alpine paths have been known reach into this area. Vertical: 150-200m gain for access, 50-150m runs. Distance: 1.25-1.5km for access, 0.15-0.4km runs. Directions: From the Parks Canada gate at the start of 93N drive about 39km and turn left onto the road marked for the Peyto Lake (Bow Summit) parking lot. From here you will likely find several skin tracks leading up to the Bow Summit ski area but I will give the most straightforward route here for beginners. Go past the outhouse found at the parking lot and follow the road to the summer tourist bus parking area. Head south in the upper parking lot to the looker’s left of the parking lot’s wooden fence and follow the open sections of forest (sections of the summer trail) towards the upper alpine ridge to reach an area with a small open convex slope above you. Head climber’s left (south south-east) from here, the route should become obvious, as it is basically a flat and straight road at this point. At any time you can ski down from this road feature into the trees with the longer runs being further up near the high point of the road. To lap you can either head back the way you came or skin directly up the slope.
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Bow Summit: South Shoulder Tree Chutes
South Shoulder Tree Chutes After reaching the highest treeline area long the ridge that separates it from the alpine you will find several tree chutes facing the road. You can either grab several quick laps here or ski lower down into the forest. The skiing here can be great but is very popular so you’re likely to find more than just a few tracks here when the conditions are good. Vertical: 225m access, 100m runs in the chutes, 240m total to the bottom of the tree skiing Distance: 2.5km access, 0.2km runs in the chutes, 0.6km to the bottom of the tree skiing Directions: Follow the directions for the Fireroad Trees run. After reaching the high point of the road you will ski down a short distance where you will notice the start of a drainage to your left (east) and a small high point to the south. Ascend up along the climber’s right (west) side of the high point following what should still look like a flat road (later in the season this may fill in). Continue on the road past two more small high points until reaching a flat alpine area where the road feature ends. The South Shoulder is above and to the south of your position. Head a little further south and you will start to see tree chutes heading down to the east. Ski down the chute of your choice and lap by skinning north to regain were the road ends at the flat alpine area. You can also ski down into the forest to make for a longer run.
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Dolomite Shoulder
Dolomite Shoulder The run down Dolomite Shoulder starting from the small southern peak is quite a treat and should be on everyone’s list for a clear day. The views are outstanding. The run is very long with a lot of vertical if skiing all the way to the road. You also have multiple options for slightly steeper slopes along the same route and even some pillow skiing as you enter the trees. The lower forest back to the road is mostly lower angle glade skiing with steeper options if heading back to the road higher up. Vertical: 850m access to the top, alpine second of the run about 480m. Distance: 3.5km access to the top, alpine section of the run about 1.5km. Directions: From the Parks Canada gate at the start of 93N drive about 24km and park roadside. Follow the open tree lane ways in the lower forest which head almost directly north while slightly trending climber’s right. After roughly 1.5km and 200m vertical you will either reach the lower open slopes of Dolomite Shoulder or at the very least see them through the forest if you ended up a little too east. Skin up through the trees heading west for about 100m vertical before reaching the lower angled terrain of the south ridge at treeline. Follow the ridge heading northwest into the alpine where the route should become obvious. Stay on the high point on the ridge all the way to the last steep section where you will have to decide if the last 30m of steeper vertical is worth the extra exposure. On the way down you basically ski the same route. You can link the steeper sections on the skier’s left. Don’t head too sharply east as there are several cliffs and much steeper slopes below. It is also possible to ski the road facing slopes (west/skier right) of Dolomite Shoulder but again there are many cliffs and much steeper terrain here which should be scouted long before committing to such a descent.
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Observation Peak: Roadside Glades
Observation Peak On the east side of the 93N at Bow Summit lies the rather large Observation Peak. Lots of opportunity for getting turns in on this west aspect but unfortunately the alpine areas here tend to get a lot of wind and the snow usually ends up being highly variable. If you do get to ski here without wind effect it can be a real treat, short and fast access with some great views await. Parking Style: Peyto Lake (Bow Summit) parking lot Roadside Glades Much like the Roadside Glades on Observation Sub Peak this area can be a day saver during heightened avalanche danger or wind blasted alpine periods. You’ll find a mix of glade and tree skiing here with slope angles that work well for the tree density found. Vertical: 350m access for low alpine start to glades. 200-250m runs. Distance: 2-2.5km access for low alpine start to glades. Up to 1km runs if skiing off fall line, 0.5km if taking more direct lines. Directions: From the Parks Canada gate at the start of 93N drive about 39km and turn left onto the road marked for the Peyto Lake (Bow Summit) parking lot. At times the plow operators will have cleared an area around this intersection and although it provides room for closer parking it is more likely intended to provide sight lines for cars attempting to get back on the road. From the parking lot walk down the road, cross the 93N and head down onto the large open flat area. From here there are two popular routes. The first is to head on a 90° angle from the 93N across the open flats towards the open drainage/avalanche runout found just after entering the forest. Follow the drainage until reaching the main fan feature where you head hard climber’s right following the trim line for access to the glade/tree skiing found below. The second option is to head directly east across the open flats to skin up through the glade/tree skiing area. You will most likely find a well-set skin track regardless which way you go. Once above the trim line ski down into the trees. Use your uptrack for lapping and back track on your access route to head back to the road.
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West Nile: Grand Daddy Couloir
This is perhaps the most user- friendly, easy-to-access and fun couloir around. That’s why it’s so busy! The beautiful rock walls that form the couloir are tall and nearly vertical making it feel like you’re in the belly of the beast. The snow is often undisturbed by wind or sun butquite a bit of spindrift flushes its way down the line; at least one party has been spit out by loose dry avalanches so it’s best to wait a few days after new snowfall. It’s a great half-day for fast parties or full-on mission for those new to steeper lines. If you are looking for your first “big line” you might as well start here, most Rockies skiers before you did. Vertical: 800m access, 400-450m run including the fan. Distance: 3km access, 0.5km run including the fan. Directions: Follow the directions for West Nile. Once at treeline regroup on the moraine and plan your attack. It is usually possible to skin right up to the mouth of the couloir, though these fans are often the greatest avalanche hazard to consider. Regroup below the pillar climber’s right to switch to bootpacking. The climb starts easy enough but steepens and tightens as you go. The top section is split by a pillar, which can be passed on climber’s right. The skiing above this is tight (sometimes little more than a ski length wide) and often shallow and rotten. Many parties choose to click in below the pillar. The pillar itself can be topped and you can change over on it with a little balance. Other parties continue on through the next pinch and change over on climber’s left, directly above it. There is always a (mostly stuck/supported) cornice at the top. Don’t bother trying to tunnel through or climb around it as it does not add to the descent but does increase risk. The usual descent is to the skier’s left of the upper pillar but if you want an extra challenge, go right and be ready to come out hot! The couloir mellows and widens as you ski. The skier’s left often has the best snow. With a deeper snowpack you can cut left at the bottom and ski around the pillar where you changed over for bootpacking. Either way rolling out onto the fans is fast, fun and sometimes the best skiing of the whole run. To get back to the road retrace your setups by skiing down West Nile to link up with your access track.
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Pulpit 1 Knob, South Aspect: Turns
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Pulpit 1 Knob: South Aspect
Traditionally referred to as Pulpit Knob, this area has become an extremely popular location with skiers over the years. Often the runs will be “tracked out” after the weekend crowd gets to them but luckily this zone refreshes quickly from snow blowing off the Waputik Icefield found to the west. The main draw here is the perfectly angled open glades on the South Aspect but you’ll often meet more than a couple of parties lapping the East Chutes or using them as their preferred exit run. Parking Style: Roadside or Hector Lake viewpoint Pulpit 1 South Aspect A classic run which often has great snow. The main attraction is the wide open glade area on the skier’s left of the south aspect but the trees skiing to the skier’s right can also provide some great runs. Lower down on this aspect you will find a number of cliffs and pillow areas, most are great fun while some may provide slightly larger drops than most will want to try. Vertical: 450m access, 200m runs. Distance: 4.5km access, 0.4km runs. Directions: The shortest access is found by parking roadside at the Hector Lake summer trailhead, from the Parks Canada gate at the start of 93N drive about 16.5km and park roadside. In the summer there is a small parking lot here but it is not plowed in winter. The other option for parking is to drive 1km further north to arrive at the Hector Lake viewpoint, this provides you with better parking but adds about 15 minutes to your access time. From the roadside parking area follow the fairly obvious cut summer trail all the way to Bow River where you will find a trail sign. If you parked at Hector Lake viewpoint then head down and skier’s left in the forest to reach the Bow River and ultimately the same point where the summer trail meets the river. Head downstream (left) along the riverbank until you reach Hector Lake. Cross the lake heading towards the southern shore and begin working your way up the forest slope heading southwest. After about 150m vertical gained from the lake the trees will start to open up and you should find yourself below the south aspect. Follow the south-east ridge working slight benches to gain the top of Pulpit 1 Knob. From here you have several options for runs with the most obvious being the large open area directly south from the top. Other options include skiing back down the south-east ridge or heading into the thicker glades to the west. To lap simply regain your skin track or to exit follow your uptrack back to Hector Lake and the road.
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West Nile, Avalanche Paths: Turns
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West Nile: Turns
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Oxo Puzzle Peak: Turns
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Dolomite Shoulder: Turns
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Observation Sub Peak, South Ridge: Turns
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Observation Peak: Turns
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Bow Summit: Turns
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Bow Summit: Turns
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Bow Summit: Turns
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Obeservation Sub Peak: South Ridge, South Face
Observation Sub Peak is found between Cirque Forepeak and Observation Peak and has long been a classic ski touring area. It has quite a few different areas to ski, with a lot of different access routes. Near the road and up the valley that borders Cirque Forepeak you will find some great tree/glade skiing, while the alpine areas off the summit and summit ridge offer some outstanding ski descents. Parking Style: Roadside South Ridge, South Face This is a popular area to grab some quick turns near the road with easy access. This slightly benched out terrain has open glade skiing, alpine loaded pockets and access to the bigger alpine lines near and off the summit. Vertical: 400-600m access, 100-300m runs. Distance: 2.5-3km access, 0.3-0.7km runs. Directions: From the Parks Canada gate at the start of 93N drive about 35.5km and park roadside. Travel in the forest northeast for about 1.5km while staying on the climber’s right side of the drainage where you will reach the open valley separating Observation Sub Peak and Cirque Forepeak. Head up the valley for another 0.5km before skinning up the south aspect. Trend climber’s right to gain the ridge line which you can follow all the way to the top of the lower south face. On the way up you should see plenty of downhill skiing options. Once back at the drainage valley head southwest to exit back to the road, stay skier’s left of the lower drainage, following your access track back out.
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Cliffs
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Narao Glades: Turns
Be cautious as there are multiple open drainages that are often hard to see or avoid, and you might find yourself falling into a 5′ hole full of water, or landing on some big rocks. Use caution!
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Narao Glades
This is the long time classic backcountry skiing area and is often referred to as Narao Trees, but when comparing it to other tree runs I think it’s safe to call it glades. The very short access leading to fairly long glade runs is the main draw here, but there are some opportunities for cliff sessions and the area provides access to steep couloirs and glaciers in the alpine area around the shoulder. Although this area has plenty of trees it should not be considered a completely safe zone for when the avalanche danger rating spikes, plenty of parties have had close calls here over the years. I originally broke this area down into smaller chunks but soon realized that it didn’t make a lot of sense. The larger area can be looked at as two basic areas, with the main area being found around the 2km mark along the Lake O’Hara road. It is possible to ski before the 2km mark and that area has the most cliffs and steeper sections (also sections of thicker trees). If you haven’t skied here before it will probably take you a couple of days to map out the sweet spots. Vertical: 550-600m for access to treeline, 300-400m runs. Distance: 3-3.5km for access to treeline, 1km runs. Directions: Follow the directions for the Lake O’Hara parking lot found on page 66. Head up the road for 1-2km where you can start skinning up the trees to your left (east). Most people seem to leave the road at the short open, steeper slope just after the 1km mark and you will likely find a well set skin track here to use. After skinning all the way to treeline you simply ski back down and use your track for lapping. As I stated above I have decided against breaking this area down but in general there is steeper terrain (and cliffs) the further skier’s right you go and more open glades to the skier’s left.
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Bow Summit: Exit Drainage
As the name suggests this run is often used to exit the Bow Summit area but the trees along it’s skier’s right side can offer some good glade and tree skiing too. In early and late season be careful of open water in this drainage and take note of the large sidewalls, which could easily provide enough volume to bury you deep in this terrain trap feature. Vertical: 200m access and run. Distance: 2km for access, 0.5km run. Directions: Follow the directions for the Fireroad Trees run. After reaching the high point of the road you will ski down a short distance where you will notice the start of a drainage to your left (east). Head over to the skier’s right side of the drainage to start skiing or skin a short ways up the first hump feature to the south to get a slightly longer run. On the ski down you can enter the drainage at almost any point but make sure to check for any open water sections before committing. The tree skiing along the drainage can be quite good whereas the drainage itself runs mostly flat after skiing the sidewall.
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Mount Jimmy Jr Bowl: Turns
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Mount Jimmy Jr Bowl
To the north of Jimmy Jr you will find a small alpine bowl feature, which has fast, straightforward access and stays in the shade for most of the year. Vertical: 350m access, 100-200m runs. Distance: 2km for access, 0.3-0.5km runs. Directions: From the Parks Canada gate at the start of 93N drive about 35.5km before parking roadside near the obvious drainage coming out of Jimmy Jr Bowl. Skin across the flats towards the drainage where you will most likely find a well- set track either directly up or alongside the drainage all the way to the trim line. From here the ski options are obvious with the longer runs on the east and south aspects of the bowl.
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Crowfoot Glades: Turns
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Crowfoot Glades via Pillow Drainage
Pillow Drainage This drainage is often used to access Crowfoot Glades or the Alpine Fans. In early season or a lower snow year most of this drainage is filled with pillows, later on with more snow and traffic these pillows usually disappear. Vertical: 150m access and run. Distance: 2km access, 0.3km run. Directions: From the Parks Canada gate at the start of 93N drive about 31.5km to reach the Crowfoot Glacier viewpoint. From here you can either park in this often plowed area or backtrack south for about 1-1.5km before parking roadside before a slight left bend in the road. If opting for the plowed parking then skin down to the shoreline and follow it for just over 1km to link up with the roadside parking directions. From the roadside parking ski down a short slope to a large open area. Head south, trending slightly west towards an opening in the trees where you will reach a lake. Cross the lake heading south trending slightly east towards an opening in the trees where you will follow a drainage for 0.1km before coming out to another open flat area. Head south (left) where you will often find previous skin tracks splitting off in two directions. Head west (right) to follow another short drainage where you will arrive in a pillow/lateral moraine area, with an obvious drainage feature to the east (left), this is the Pillow Drainage. Skin up along or in the drainage to reach the top where you can ski back down over pillows (at least until the drainage has been skied a thousand times and the pillows are all packed out). Crowfoot Glades Crowfoot Glades references the tree/glade skiing found between the two drainages coming out of the upper moraine areas. This area does have some good skiing and often holds good snow but most of the area needs to be skied off fall line to avoid ending up in the terrain trap drainage to the skier’s right. It is very easy and quick to lap this area using the Pillow Drainage run and for the most part it is a pretty safe zone to ski (outside of the fall line drainage terrain trap). Vertical: 200m access and run. Distance: 2.2km access, 0.4km run. Directions: Follow the directions for the Pillow Drainage to reach the rolling moraine features above it. The Crowfoot Glades area starts up to the climber’s left of the drainage and you will probably want to gain the moraine slope just above the glades to extend your run a bit. The steeper fall line skiing will head skier’s right but unless you want to end up in a terrain trap you will want to resist fall line and trend skier’s left instead. If you are successful in trending skier’s left you will ski all the way back down to the flat area and link back up with the start of your uptrack to start another lap.