The Golden Circle Route - Whitehorse - Skagway - Haines - Haines Junction

Alaska is a place that conjures up visions of remoteness, wilderness and adventure. My first exposure to Alaska was watching Eric Hjorleifson in Matchstick and TGR ski movies in the early 2000's. I would spend hours pouring over Powder and Skier imagining myself skiing the huge spines and deep powder in the Chugatch and Alaska Ranges. The names of Alaska heli-ski operations and mountain ranges have been a part of my vocabulary for years. Later, I revisited Alaska through Jon Krakauer's literature, "The Call of the Wild," and "Eiger Dreams" and the desire to visit this mystical place grew stronger. It was only natural to take advantage of my proximity to the border this summer to go see Alaska for myself! With limited time, we were only able to scratch the surface of this massive state, and it left an even deeper desire to return and explore (hopefully with my skis!).

Made it to Alaska!

The Alaska Highway - Dawson City to Whitehorse

Ready to hit the road!

The Alaska Highway. The words alone conjure up visions of pioneers, gold miners and adventurers exploring the "Last Frontier." It was built by the Americans in only 9 months during World War II in order to connect Alaska to the rest of the USA and the last section of the road was finally paved in 1992! Although it is a much smoother drive today than in past years, it is still a bucket list drive for road-trippers from all over the world because of the scenery, wildlife and remoteness.

Direttissima - 5.8+, 9 pitches (Yamnuska)

Grade 5.8+, 9 pitches, 325m

Bolted or piton belays

Trad (with occasional bolts)

Direttissima means "The Shortest Link" in Italian according to Wikipedia, and is an old climbing term describing the direct line to the summit. Direttissima on Yamnuska is just that. The direct line to the top of the mountain. It's been a few years since I have climbed on Yam, and just the thought of it gives me the butterflies. It's big, it's chossy, it's sand-bagged and it is always a full value day. I had always considered Direttissima to be a bit out of my league, but with Connor willing to get on the sharp end, I was happy to tuck in behind him and cruise up the route with Kyle at my side.

We left Calgary at 5:30 on Sunday to meet Connor at the parking lot for 6:30. We did not want to be below any parties on the route due to rockfall hazard. Nobody else was around as we packed up our gear and hit the approach trail. Hiking to the base of Yamnuska is a mission on it's own. After an hour of steep uphill, we reached the bottom of our route, right in the centre of the wall. We had to walk past it then scramble up the steep triangle of rock to the base of Direttissima.

Checking in at the climbers log

Ticks and Trying Hard in Stone Hill, Montana

It can be hard to make plans for May Long Weekend and we struggle with it every year. There are just so many options available; skiing, scrambling, mountaineering, climbing, mountain biking. The possibilities are endless. We came very close to joining the masses on the Columbia Icefield to finish off the ski season with some peak bagging, but with warm weather in the forecast we shifted our focus to the south and loaded up the trailer, bound for Stone Hill, Montana.

Kyle and I discovered Stone Hill not long after we started climbing. This little quartzite gem, only 4 hours from Calgary, was our early season destination for a couple of years but we hadn't been back in a while. It is a series of crags that line the road beside Lake Koocanusa on the Montana side of the border, not far from Eureka and the Roosville border crossing. The best part, besides the awesome camping, is the fact that there is literally no approach to the climbs. Some are so close to the parking that you can belay out of the back of your truck!

The main attraction - the Room With a View - a 5.8 sandbag

Red Rocks Spring Break

It was a long winter this year so getting away for a sunny spring vacation was just what Kyle and I needed. We planned to climb in Red Rock Canyon, just outside of Las Vegas, on either end of our rafting trip on the Grand Canyon with my family. We started the trip off with 4 days of climbing with Angela and Connor, who were in the middle of a climbing road trip through the western USA. We were also extremely stoked to meet up with David and Tyler! They had decided to drive out from San Fran to surprise us and climb for the weekend! 

We spent the first few days warming up (and getting sunburnt) on sport climbs in the Calico Basin and Calico Hills. Right away, we could tell it was going to be a good trip. All the gym climbing this winter looked like it had paid off and we were both pushing ourselves to get on some harder routes than ever before!

Day 2 crew - Vancouver reunion brought to you by Patagonia hats

River Run on Tunnel Mountain (5.10c sport, 9 pitches)

5.10c sport

9 pitches

Tunnel Mountain, Banff

Kyle having fun on River Run

Kyle and I enjoyed a lovely day on River Run in Banff. We camped at Tunnel Mountain campground so our drive to the parking area was about 3 minutes. A short 10 minute approach along the bike trails had us at the base of the route. 

Best Mom Ever! - Rafting the Grand Canyon

My mom is awesome! For her 60th birthday, she wanted to do something special so on her request, the whole family met up in Las Vegas. This was not to hit the strip, but to venture down the Colorado River in a raft for three days with Western River Expeditions. Let me put this in a bit of context. My mom is very outdoorsy and the opportunities Angela and I had to spend our childhood skiing, camping, hiking, and at the cottage in Northern Ontario significantly influenced my passion for my current outdoor pursuits. As a kid, mom taught me how to J-stroke a canoe, run rapids, windsurf and waterski. She is definitely the water lover in our family! When she suggested rafting the Grand Canyon for her birthday, I was surprised, but not shocked. She wanted to do something special that the whole family would enjoy and remember forever and try something new at the same time!

Running rapids on the French River with my mom back in 2007