TR: Bow Summit Circus 11/11/06

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11-12-2006, 12:48 PM
Mex

TR: Bow Summit Circus 11/11/06

My buddy, Fowler, headed up to Sunshine on Friday and was greeted with a full parking lot and more people than he expected. So we planned to head out to the backcountry on Saturday.

The stretch of road from the Lake to Bow Summit was only half plowed and we couldn't see anyone behind us. We were thinking that just maybe there wouldn't be too many people at Bow Summit. Everyone would be hitting up Sunshine and the Lake for opening weekend. We were wrong.

We broke trail and laid down some tracks and toured back to the top to find the uptrack was now like a sidewalk and everywhere you looked there were people. I haven't been to Bow Summit in a few years and knew it was popular but was surprised to see that many people in one area. I'm glad we got there when we did.

A few parties laid down some good lines up high. We stayed on the lower section, trying to get the legs in shape for the season ahead.

The snow was waayy better than we anticipated. Nice and firm underneath so we didn't hit anything with some new fresh stuff on top. Not bad for the first day of the season.

A bit of a view
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_67898.jpg

Fowler in the witness protection program
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_67896.jpg

Fowler looking for some fresh. You can see the guys to the left and tracks everywhere. Either way, it was a good first day.
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_67893.jpg

http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_67894.jpg
http://www.biglines.com/photosv2/200...ines_67895.jpg
11-12-2006, 12:51 PM
mntlion

nice looks like a busy year in the back country in banff
11-12-2006, 02:02 PM
bubba-k

Good work, looks like you found a few deep turns
11-12-2006, 03:51 PM
johnnya

Maybe its time to try the highwood again, eh Mex. Looks like a fun day regardless. Just curious, were there people skiing flower(name?) chute and the upper bowl?
11-12-2006, 04:11 PM
Eldo

Looks like it was a good day. I was ripping up the Calgary shopping malls Saturday right about that time. :rolleyes:

Bow Summit is always super busy this time of year since it usually has the best early season snow.

After Christmas it will quiet down when people start spreading out to other areas in the parks, into K Country, Rogers, etc.

But what a treat having a stable early season snowpack, eh? The new snow seems to have bridged last week's rain event amazingly well.
11-12-2006, 04:28 PM
Mex

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnnya

Maybe its time to try the highwood again, eh Mex. Looks like a fun day regardless. Just curious, were there people skiing flower(name?) chute and the upper bowl?

Not sure what the name was. They were just skiing some terrain above the bench that everyone seems to start from.

Yeah, we were 50-50 Highwood to Bow Summit. K-Country report didn't look too promising so we decided to go for a drive. It was a good day and great turns. Snow was superlight. Maybe K-country next weekend.