For some mysterious reason, it took me 5 years to get up to Lookout Col. I’ve come close to it on my way to the Illecillewaet Glacier but never climbed its steep moraine until now. Lookout Col is an ultra-scenic day trip away from the well-maintained parking lot at its trailhead. While skiing the north moraines below the col is a wonderful plan, we opted to descend the south face into Lookout Bowl, linking up with the Ravens. In the end, the route takes you through two of Rogers Pass’ main valleys, the Illecillewaet and the Asulkan Valleys, granting panoramic views of their impressive glaciers.
Related: The Raven: A Burly Line For A Burly Storm
Report from December 11, 2023
We began our ski tour at the Illecillewaet parking lot, frequently plowed by the Parks Canada staff. After performing our customary transceiver group check, we race along the rail grade of the Asulkan Valley trail. Due to the early season conditions and a below-seasonal snowpack, we avoided the Perley Rock trail that traverses the avalanche fans below Eagle Peak and Mt Sir Donald. At this time of the year, it’s covered in thick mountain alders, creating an impenetrable jungle. Instead, we took the alternate path on the Great Glacier Trail, navigating around the eastern slopes of Glacier Crest.
We followed the Great Glacier trail until the bush became too thick. We dropped into the Illecillewaet Creek, with barely enough coverage to carve an uptrack. As the creek steepened, the terrain transitioned into a series of lateral moraines, created when the glacier flowed to the valley bottom. Given the thin snowpack, the uptrack from the valley bottom to the alpine took way longer than anticipated, requiring creative thinking and a good dose of heel risers to get through the bushes and faceted pillows.
We made a point to avoid the steep sidewall of surrounding gullies and northerly convexities. The constant downflow winds coming from the Illecillewaet Neve created dense wind slabs on the north-facing terrain. With much patience, sweat, and a little frustration, we made it up the moraines in a little over two hours.
By the time we reached the alpine terrain, we were shrouded in a thick cloud layer. Visibility was poor but fortunately, someone had laid a nice uptrack to Lookout Col. We followed the uptrack, ascending a rather steep moraine right below the col. As the cloud layer retreated into the valley, we glanced upon the Illecillewaet Glacier and Terminal Peak, now clear as day. The sun was shining strong for a cold December day.
Getting to the col was exhilarating. Emerging from the darkness of the northern slope, we basked in the warm sunlight, looking down into Lookout Bowl to the South. We traversed across the south face looking for fresh tracks. With so little snow coverage, the terrain was limited and mostly tracked out. We dropped into a virgin 30-degree slope, carving some smooth turns in the moist sunbaked snow.
We regrouped at the bottom of the bowl, far away from the warming overhead slopes to our skier’s left. From there, we skied the valley bottom through the cloud layer until 1650m where we transitioned for a quick traverse into the Ravens.
We followed a well-established uptrack that contoured through the thick forest north of the Ravens. Scoping out the terrain both above and below us, we realized this forest would offer some good skiing with another meter of snowpack. Something to keep for later, I guess!
I punched an uptrack traversing through the west slope until we found a patch of snow with little to no tracks. It dawned upon me. In the last few years, the Ravens have succumbed to its popularity. There used to be a time when no one would visit the area.
We skied the lower slope, bolting past a group of telemark skiers who were getting ready. That snow patch did not remain fresh for very long. I drained way down the valley, maximizing our turns in the surreal powder. It seems the colder temperatures and downflow winds had created a dense layer above the Dec 1st rain crust, offering some supportive skiing without feeling the crust. This was by far the best descent of the day!
After a few high-fives, we joined up with the Asulkan Valley trail, slogging 6km back to the parking lot. Surprisingly the toboggan track was in rather good shape. The rain crust must have preserved its surface and bridged all the rocks and roots below. When the conditions are right, this loop is one of the finest in the area.
Route Info
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