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Spencer and Sams
2003 Columbia Ice Fields Trip—April 18-21

Thursday, April 18, 2003
Claude drove out with Mike and Brian met us at the Saskatchewan Crossing where we got a room for $75 tax included for the 3 of us.
Friday, April 18, 2003
Up at 5 a.m. and at the trail head at 07:15. Weather was cloudy. Wax was good until approach to 2nd ramp. Luckily, due to Claude being slower, we missed the 2 consecutive ice falls that came down on the 2nd ramp 5 minutes before we got to that point. After we passed that point, there was a 3rd ice fall where the debris crossed our path. Lunched at the top of the ramp where the grade eased off. Did not pick up the pulks at all except for a short section near the top by Brian. Decided to contour to save about 40-80 metres of elevation gain. Distance wasn’t a big issue with pulks. Visibility was bad so couldn’t see Mt. Columbia at all. Mike used the GPS to navigate our way to the snow cave site. We snow caved in the Trench at the big crevasse where there was a big snow bank. I cooked and dug a latrine while Mike and Brian dug the best snow cave I have ever seen. Brian had brought a huge tarp so they dug the cave floor area to match in about 2.5 hours. About 9:30 p.m. we established our quarters in the snow cave. Mike and Brian had made a nice interior kitchen complete with a chimney for cooking. 2 candles were sufficient to keep the snow cave well lit. The snow cave entrance was blocked with nice big blocks cut from the kitchen area of the snow cave.
Saturday, April 19, 2003
Columbia is 12, 293 ft and we camped at 9000 ft so the elevation gain for the day will be around 3300 feet. The 2 ACC groups, one from Prince George and the other from Edmonton started out while we were still boiling water to fill our bottles. Since the weather was in and out, every group was placing glacier wands to mark the route in case it whited out later. Fortunately, it never did completely sock in. We lunched in the sun at the spot on the ramp of Columbia where we took off our skis and put on crampons and chose to use an ice axe instead of ski poles. We were roped up as Mike remembered that was the way they did it 10 years ago. After lunch, there was one spot where suddenly, it felt like we were in a steam bath. At which point, everyone took 10 minutes leaning into the hill to layer down. The early groups were kicking the steps into the snow with no regard for shorter people who had to take what to them were giant steps. Some spots we traversed but mostly the steps went straight up the 40-45 degree ramp. We came across some cracks in the ice underneath the snow but no one fell into anything that we know of. On the ascent, Claude had a couple of dizzy spells which may have been due to altitude or vertigo from the swirling snow. Whatever the cause, it looks like I am susceptible to this problem. Somehow, on the way up, we passed the group of 4 from Edmonton. The early groups were on the way down while we were about an hour from the top. They didn’t see anything as the top was still socked in when they got there. We, on the other hand, lucked out as the top was not in cloud when we got there. So we layered up and spent maybe 20 minutes up top taking pictures and going over to a slightly lower sub peak to have a look. In the meantime, the group from Edmonton got up there as well so I took their cameras and took pictures of them. By then, it was 5 p.m. so we headed down heels first. Mike collected a rock for his collection from the lower rock band near the top and slightly below this spot, Claude got vertigo from snow swirling around his feet and lost his balance and pulled the whole team off their feet. After sliding maybe 100 feet down the hill, we all managed to arrest ourselves within 10 feet of each other without any jabs from each other’s crampons. Thank goodness the snow was soft. Mike recovered my glasses and stated that I had several scratches on the nose and forehead and that we were now twins since I had a 3rd eyebrow but above my right eye whereas Mike’s 3rd eyebrow was above his left eyebrow. I also found out from later swelling that I had a bruise there as well. Needless to say, this fall scared the shit out of the Edmonton group who were descending by taking turns belaying as one of the group had rented crampons which didn’t fit his boots so he had to make do with just boots. They likely spent an extra hour picking their way down rather than using the patented Sam/Spencer shortcut. It was a tough day because we were still tired from lack of sleep from the previous two nights and the amount of elevation gain. To bed around midnight after announcing that tomorrow’s objective would the Mt. Castleguard. Meanwhile the roof of the snow cave is sagging. Good thing the ceiling was high to start with.
Sunday, April 20, 2003
Best day of the weekend. The weather was sunny all day. Up at 6:30 or so and left at 10 a.m. The sun was in our face on the way there and on the way back. Brian’s and Claude’s lower lips are swollen and so is Claude’s nose. Mike offered his zinc all the way around and saves our skin from worse injury. I thought I was immune due to dark skin but such is not the case. It took forever to get to the base of Castleguard as the snow was sticking badly to the skis. Around to the backside of Castleguard where we shucked skis and skins and used ski poles for the last 600 feet of elevation gain or so. Up top by 4 pm. for a snack and some pictures. Then down, with Mike doing some bum sliding, Brian tried it but wasn’t satisfied with the slide while I just plunge stepped all the way back to the skis. We got back around 8 pm. again. In the meantime the wind had picked up so it was a good thing Mike was cooking inside the snow cave. As it was, the chimney hole had enlarged to at least 6 inches and there was a good draught coming through the entrance. In the meantime, Claude was looking all over for his head lamp to no avail until Mike noticed that his head lamp with the tape around the rim to identify it was sitting by his bivvy bag. Then whose head lamp was he wearing while cooking? I wonder. Another item for the PLG award! Mind you, a devious person would have just quietly pulled a switch without anyone being the wiser. To bed around midnight again. This trip is killing me and they are talking about doing Mt Andromeda on the way out.
Monday, April 21, 2003
Seems like everyone was tired enough to sleep in until around 7 am. By the time everything was packed and ready to go it was 10 am. Mike smartly kicked his pulk down the slope towards what he hoped would be the flat spot in the Trench where we would start our climb out the other side. Instead it turns towards BC and fortunately stops some distance away. So Mike starts out after his pack, while Claude and Brian pull their pulks down and start up the other side expecting that Mike would show up to meet us on the other side. No Mike. No response from whistle or shouts so since Brian had the rope, he starts back down to retrace Mike’s chase of his pulk. Seems the pulk took off by itself initiated by maybe a raven landing on it to check it out and it headed down the glacier stopping just feet from entering a crevasse maybe 600 feet of vertical down from where we should have been. This has been a lucky trip for sure. So we finally get our pulks up top and headed back towards the Athabasca Glacier. This part seemed to last forever since it was so hot and sunny. By now, it’s too late for Mike and Brian to try Mt. Andromeda which I am just as happy about. The rest of the ski is downhill and uneventful except the 2nd ramp where the smooth slope we had skied up on is now covered with avalanche debris from an avalanche the day before. Made for some tough skiing especially for tired little old me. The heavy avalanche debris nearly stretched out to the other side of the glacier. Such a sight did not give us the “warm fuzzies”. Mike says that the other parties who left on Sunday took their skis off and walked down the slope. So the last day which lasted from 10 am. To 5 pm turned out to be a tough day as well.
General Note: Outward bound, we roped up and on the return leg, we didn’t but followed the same track home.

Notes by Claude S.

Prof. Lipstand