Jenny's Mountain Adventures: Roger's Pass Double Weekend Pow Fest

Sometimes you need to book an ACC hut a year in advance, and other times you luck out and are able to snag a weekend at the last moment after 90 cm of snow. We were recently fortunate enough to spend two weekends at the AO Wheeler Hut in Rogers Pass in the middle of a storm cycle.

Emily and Trevor had organized a trip to the Wheeler Hut in Rogers Pass in mid-December with some of the usual suspects. Kyle and I rolled into the pass around 9 pm but made quick work of the 2km ski into the hut. We were greeted by our friends and said brief hellos before they went off to bed in anticipation of a big pow day to come. Phil and Paul were also staying at the hut with a big group for the annual "Rogers Pass for People Scared of Rogers Pass Trip," so between our two groups we knew quite a few people in the fully booked hut.

Packing in a snowstorm, getting ready to head into Wheeler Hut

Mobilizing outside the Wheeler Hut

On our first day we went to explore Glacier Crest. There had been a significant snowfall in the last few days so we wanted to stay out of the alpine and away from major overhead hazard. After the drought of early winter, this was the first big dump for a few weeks and nobody was quite sure how touchy it was going to be. We took turns breaking trail through the steep forest up to the shoulder. It was snowing hard all day and as we gained elevation it got deeper and lighter.

Challenging trailbreaking

Smiles for days

Route-finding fun

Dropping down through the trees back into the Asulkan Valley was magical. The snow was amazingly deep and we managed to find an open line with fresh tracks for us all. Inspired, we toured back up for another lap! Staying in the trees had paid off and rewarded us with great skiing.

Snowy!

Back at the hut, we chowed down on never-ending appetizers including a massive wheel of brie. Trail-breaking is hard work and everyone worked up a big appetite. The next morning, we packed up and skied out to the cars. We drove down to the Roger's Pass Visitor Centre to get the update on the avalanche conditions. There had been some avalanche activity the day before so we were on high alert. We chose to ski Grizzly Shoulder, which hadn't been open the day before. This time, we were able to follow someone else's track which made the climb much more enjoyable. The plan was to go look at Puff Daddy but based on our snow observations and the fact that there were a few other parties heading in that direction, we ended up dropping back down the shoulder through the trees. We were alone! It was pretty exceptional to spend 2 days in the pass and not cross any other tracks, especially with all the fresh powder! I think the storm cycle, avalanche report and road conditions had kept people in the resorts, which meant we had the place to ourselves.

A lot more snow a few weeks later

Three weeks later, Kyle and I were back, this time just the two of us. It was deja vu packing up in the parking area and skinning to the hut in the dark. When we arrived, the hut was quiet with only about 8 others staying that weekend. It had been stormy in the pass and we were in for a treat. The weather was forecast to break, but only for a day and we had timed the trip perfectly. We awoke to bluebird skies and fluffy snow. Despite the good conditions, we took our time eating breakfast, letting the more energetic folks break trail. We were just coming off our New Year's trip to Trophy Hut and were pretty exhausted.

Overhead hazard you don't hear about on the avalanche report

There was a lot more snow than when we had been skiing three weeks earlier! Up in the alpine, we had endless views across the pass, up the Asulkan Valley and of Mount Sir Donald. I was blown away. Having only skied Rogers Pass on cloudy days, I could not believe how beautiful the terrain is. The views were a good distraction from my fatigued legs too.

Views across the pass

Walking in a winter wonderland

Endless views

Mount Sir Donald

Sunshine and fresh snow

Roger's Pass proved itself again with amazing turns and face shots on the way down. We are so lucky to have such an accessible playground so close to home! As we finished the days the clouds had already started to roll in for the next assault on the mountains. Time to head home and back to reality.