August 12, 2002

August Check In

With relatively little construction on the hill this year, no major changes for the ski hill planned and a noticeable lack of summer political intrigue, it is a bit of a stretch to scratch together this report. True, there were major bike events on the last couple of weekends, with the Canadian mountain biking finals and then the start of the seven day, 600 km Trans Rockies wilderness bike race. However much more significant to my wife and I was the fact those events bracketed the kids' week at camp. :-) Preparations and recovery from that meant we pretty much missed the whole show, but we did get away for a couple of days of internal combustion merriment on the suitably twisty back roads of Montana and BC (all at legal and prudent speeds of course).

For what is is worth, the heat of earlier this summer seems to have given way to more moderate weather with highs in the low to mid 20s (C). A few small patches of snow still exist on the mountain, but I don't think any of them will make it through the season this year (they rarely do). I at least have seen no bears and little trace of bears in the last little while up on the hill.

In the rumour department, the ski hill has confirmed that the Bear's Den replacement for this year was cancelled, apparently in favour of a new lift at Lake Louise. They have denied though that there is any substance to the seemingly never ending rumours of a possible sale of the hill.

That's it folks. Hope you are all having a great summer.



Part of the KC chutes with Griz Peak above, from near the bottom of the Haul Back.

Cedar Bowl with Spruce at the far left, Cedar Ridge in the upper middle and lower Cedar Main at the right.

Part of Steep and Deep and the top of Red Tree are at the top.

The top of Haul Back with North Ridge at the left. In real life it is amazing how much steeper North Ridge looks than it seems in the winter - even more so if you walk up it.

Lizard Bowl with the Bear Chair in the foreground and part of Easter Bowl at the left.

Freeway and Deer Trail from the Bear's Den.

Looking down to the village from the top of Deer.

This is Currie from the top of Meadow and the trail is the downhill mountain bike trail which emerges in a spectacular fashion from the trees on its way down from Trespass Trail.