Little Sifton Traverse: A Quality Alpine Stroll

A high-pressure system rolled into the Interior BC, generating a long-lasting temperature inversion which called for blue skies and balmy weather. This was the opportunity I was waiting for to complete the Little Sifton Traverse, a quality alpine stroll. This scenic traverse takes you up the Grizzly Shoulder, through the Little Sifton Col (peaking at 2650m), and down a sheltered NE slope towards the Sifton Glacier and its slidepath. By Rogers Pass standards, the skiing is on the mellow side but the alpine views are absolutely, positively spectacular! My advice: save that one for a clear day.

This route is located within a Winter Restricted Area (WRA) governed by the Winter Permit System of Glacier National Park. Check the WRA status before travelling through it.

WRA STATUS

PERMIT SYSTEM

skiers ascending a snowy slope in rogers pass test — Kaitlin, Jeff, and Freddy, just meters below the Little Sifton Col. Photo: The Uptrack

Report from November 29, 2020

It was 8 AM. We stopped by the NRC parking lot, granting us a detailed but incomplete view of our route. We could barely make out the uptrack on the Grizzly Shoulder, crossing into the mellow alpine slopes above Puff Daddy, a slope that terminated at the Little Sifton Col, our highest point. For the way down, we scoped out two options below Mt Sifton both covered with alders:

Ski down a small gully over an open creek leading to the Hermit parking lot which seemed to offer some decent fall-line skiing but added a walk back to the Discovery center.
After skiing the slopes below Mt Sifton, traverse west into the Puff Daddy run and face tight alders. Puts us closer to the Discovery Center.

little sifton traverse route overlay — View of the Little Sifton Traverse from the NRC parking lot. Photo: The Uptrack

We then rolled into the Discovery Center’s parking lot, chilled by a week-long temperature inversion. We organized our gear and heading up the Connaught Drainage towards the base of the Grizzly Shoulder. On our way there, we crossed a large footbridge, marking the start of the winter trail.

What's A Temperature Inversion?

Usually, atmospheric temperature decreases as the elevation increases. This is called a negative temperature gradient. In other words, it’s warmer in the valleys and colder on the peaks. A temperature inversion is an atmospheric state characterized by a positive temperature gradient, the opposite of the above trend. Warm air aloft rides over cold air, trapping said cold air at the bottom of the valley. When reading the weather forecast, you’ll notice warmer temperatures at alpine elevations, and colder ones, at valley bottom. If the humidity levels are high enough, clouds tend to form at lower elevations. Once in the alpine, it’s common to see a carpet of thick low-lying fog, a “sea of clouds”.

three skiers walking across the connaught bridge — The crew, Jeff, Freddy, and Kaitlin, crossing the winter footbridge over the Connaught Creek. Photo: The Uptrack

We hurried up the alder-infested Grizzly Mountain Slidepath, looking high up for any sorts of avalanche activity. We ducked into the Grizzly Shoulder trees and borrowed an uptrack that was put in to access Rogers Run, another famous ski line. The uptrack was proper icy but its mellow grade was manageable with good technique, a testimony to the quality of the route-setting.

skiers climbing the grizzly shoulder with cheops mt in the back — The crew, travelling along the Grizzly Shoulder uptrack. Photo: The Uptrack

As soon as we emerged from the cover of the trees, winds picked up making the traverse a little chilly. We climbed a steep exposed slope covered with a layer of slabby snow, a result of the harsh, prevailing SW winds, hammering the windward side of Grizzly Shoulder. I performed a quick hand shear test to get a sense of the relative hazard the slab posed. Judging from the lack of cohesion within the slab itself, the risk was acceptable. Once in the relative safety of overhead rocks, we crossed a striking cliff band, the same one you would sneak through to hop into Rogers Run. You won’t miss it. This distinctive rock feature towers over the rest of the shoulder.

skiers walking next to a big rock wall with little sifton in the back — The crew, traversing under the stunning band of rock before entering the Puff Daddy zone. Small bootpack ahead. Photo: The Uptrack

We followed an intricate system of wind lips leading to a hard, wind-blown ramp crowned by large boulders. Skins would do us no good. We strapped our skis to our packs and booted up the faceted snow, punching through the lower layers a few too many times. Damn, if I can avoid it, I would just skin it all, which is possible later in the season.

ski tourers on the little sifton traverse — Several groups heading up the Little Sifton Traverse, a popular route on clear days. Taken on top of the short bootpack. Photo: The Uptrack

With some frustration, we gained a comfortable bench, at which point we could clearly see a way to the Little Sifton Col. To the west, the Grizzly Couloir was hiding behind a rocky ridge, looking prime for a shred. Vivid memories of last year’s descent with Cedrik surged before my eyes. We navigated through the gentle, waving terrain with ease. Point it straight up and you’ll eventually get there. It’s that simple! Just watch out for the steeps, to the left, plunging into Grizzly Bowl.

skiers traversing above puff daddy — The crew, gliding along the upper bench of the Grizzly Shoulder. What a sight! Photo: The Uptrack

As the sun finally breached the thin veil of clouds, we took a quick break to strip down to our base layers to avoid sweating too much. Man, it was steamy up here, a brutal reminder of the current inversion. The alarm bells rang in my head. Warm weather calls for a warming snowpack, especially so on solar aspects. As we reached the end of the bench, we were now faced with a steep, south-facing alpine slope, brightly lit by the now-beaming sun.

skier in a red jacket taking a break below the little sifton col — Fred, scoping out the solar pitch leading to the Little Sifton Col (in the center). Photo: The Uptrack

I took a moment to feel the snow in my left hand, looking for evidence of surface warming. Light and fluffy, as it should be. The snow was still cold enough. With no signs of avalanche instability in the area (yet), we proceeded up the pitch as fast as we could to minimize our exposure to the warming temps. As we exited this hazardous zone, I noticed the snow getting denser, not alarmingly so but enough to cast doubt on our decision. In the future, I promised myself to start this traverse earlier.

two skiers at the little sifton col — Kaitlin, followed by Jeff, moments before reaching the highest point of the Little Sifton Traverse. The snow was visibly moist. Photo: The Uptrack

As we began to feel the altitude bearing down on us, we gained the Little Sifton Col (2650m). To our left, a pilgrimage of ski tourers were slowly climbing to the summit of Little Sifton, like sheeps flocking to the shepherd. With the previous day’s high SW winds, I was amazed that no one bothered to verify the slope’s stability. A section of it was noticeably wind-loaded. And, that’s exactly where the first tracks were laid. Careless! Needless to say, I had my transceiver at the ready, even if nothing happened.

group of skiers ascending little sifton — The pilgrimage, ascending Little Sifton. Notice the wind loading lee of the left ridge. Photo: The Uptrack

As the sun reached its apogee, we clicked in our bindings and shot down the NE face onto the Sifton Glacier. The skiing quality was pretty decent with a thin layer of power over a firm base with the occasional tiny wind crust. The NE aspect, always in the shadow of the mountain, had preserved the snow.

skier in a red jacket jumping a cornice in the alpine — Freddy, launching off the cornice at the col into the NE slope. Photo: The Uptrack

We skied down the gentle slopes of the Sifton Glacier, carpeted with extremely dry powder. Even in the summer, this glacier is barely crevassed. We followed the Grizzly Shoulder to the east, making sure to stay well away from its steep, eastern flank. I noticed signs of old slab avalanches triggered by cornices failing overhead. A gentle reminder of the hazards at play.

woman skiing down the hermit path in rogers pass — Kaitlin, racing down the upper Grizzly Path, just below the Sifton Glacier. Photo: The Uptrack

Once we dipped into the treeline elevation, we decided against following the deep gully down to the Hermit parking lot, where all the tracks were heading. Instead, we traversed skier’s right under the termination of the Grizzly Shoulder cliffs, into the Puff Daddy run.

descent in grizzly path from little sifton — The descent in the Grizzly Path from the Little Sifton Col. Photo: The Uptrack

From there, we followed a large slidepath leading into perfectly-spaced trees. With a little alder bushwhacking, we made it to the busy highway and toured back to the Discovery Center parking lot. What a glorious day, filled with scenic views and surprisingly good snow. The Little Sifton Traverse… check-mate!

Route Info


5 h	1380m	10 km	1330-2675 m

For more epic trips, check out the Uptrack’s Route Map. It’s your one-stop shop for Rogers Pass ski touring beta.

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Route Info

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