Related: Sapphire Col Traverse: An Alpine High

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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