TR: RussetLake and the Fitzsimmons Range

TR: RussetLake and the Fitzsimmons Range

January 11-14 2007

just came off 4 days up at Russet Lake. Cabin had 5 - 7 people those 4 days. minus 25 at night on Thursday was coldest, with minus 15 at night on Sat night. Daytime temps were between minus 10 to minus 15.

Sizeable old cornice drops but no signs of fracture or initiated crowns at debris.

Lots of sastrugi and w/s up high. Sheltered east facing couloirs and chutes had the best skiing but even that had variable snow.

High north faces and nw faces had variable snow too with w/s and breakable crust alternating with boot top - knee deep powder

Crevasses and bergschrunds are impressively snowbridged with HS over the depth of a 320cm G3 probe on Overlord Glacier and the pocket remnants of the Fissile Glacier.

did one hasty on NW facing slope @ 2140m @ 3.30pm (-16 C, 42degree slope, HS 290,

10cm 1F
10 - 25cm WS P
35 - 120 homogenous 4F

Skied a bit with really nice crew le Machine Suisse (Alain, Raphael and Ludovic) from Lausanne who were very competent alpinists.

Also ran into Brad and Robin who lurk on TGR who were trying for a reverse Spearhead but turned back when they ran into navigation issues at Iago. Well done to those motivated two!

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...11/06cabin.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...dsharonski.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...teentrance.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...ilebowlski.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...opeakclimb.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...immonsview.jpg

Very, very fine!

Really enjoying having a day to putz around the house and hit the refresh button a lot. :D Thanks for the pretty pics.

$$
http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...ilebowlski.jpg

Damn the sunset / sunrise skiing would have been pimp.

How lame. Lee posts up another thread with mediocre pictures from another boring trip. Lee sucks ;)

Great pictures Lee. Way to get after it up there time and time again! Every single time you post a TR that links to your site, I end up being 20% less productive at work because I have to go through your entire site again...

Lee,

Would you like to adopt someone, because I would be available. I'm potty trained and can make my own toast and bacon.

That pic that Powder11 reposted is Amaaaaaaaaaaaaaazingggggg!! The tracks with the mists of snow make it feel like I saw the action and it's a snapshot in my mind.

Nice shots as always, Lee. Those were a couple of cold days there, even by CO standards. Despite my best efforts, I even got a touch of frostbite on my cheek one of those days.:(

Had one of my best days ever yesterday, despite being towed 20k each way :eek: Hopefully I can post a pic or two once I go back to CO without giving away the location, which I am sworn to keep a secret. Sadly, just 4 more ski days left before I have to go back to comparitively snowless CO :(

Quote:

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Originally Posted by goldenboy

Nice shots as always, Lee. Those were a couple of cold days there, even by CO standards. Despite my best efforts, I even got a touch of frostbite on my cheek one of those days.:(

Had one of my best days ever yesterday, despite being towed 20k each way :eek: Hopefully I can post a pic or two once I go back to CO without giving away the location, which I am sworn to keep a secret. Sadly, just 4 more ski days left before I have to go back to comparitively snowless CO :(

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Check PMs

Hey Lee,

I was up checking out the new Symphony Express on Sat. and we looked down from the top at the backside valley and saw a lake *way* down there... Is that Russet???

Love the pics, this weekend had cold temps and b-e-a-utiful views for sure!!!

beautiful shots Lee

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jfost

Hey Lee,

I was up checking out the new Symphony Express on Sat. and we looked down from the top at the backside valley and saw a lake *way* down there... Is that Russet???

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hi jf - that's Cheakamus Lake.

we managed to score some icy groomers on the way out - hope the snow treated you all well

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LeeLau

hi jf - that's Cheakamus Lake.

we managed to score some icy groomers on the way out - hope the snow treated you all well

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yep, it was actually pretty nice. The bottom half was scraped clean, but great lines in Sapphire, Jersey Cream Bowl, and across the other side of the Glacier (loooooong high traverse to get there) on Fri. and Sun Bowl, Glacier Bowl?, West Cirque (yipes!) and Peak to Creek trees on Sat. !!!

I want to bring my touring gear next time to go check out Cheakamus Lake! Looked like a nice trip down that way, I assume you head out the Flute gate?

I had to laugh at the sign on the blackcomb glacier that says, "watch for winch-cats when entering after hours" INDEED! that'd be a grisly end to a nice tour!!!

some beautiful pics, especially the alpenglowin' shot. freakin' amazing.

looks sick, although you earned it after four nights in an unheated cabin

As always great trip and great pics. Keep posting.

you + camera = sex

Looks fun LeeLau!!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LeeLau

Lots of sastrugi and w/s up high...

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Excellent photos. But what the hell is sastrugi? It sounds like an Italian dessert. ;)

More here from Day 1's mellow tour getting into the hut http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlake/russetlake070111/

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...uskcloseup.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...issileskin.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...issilebowl.jpg

Day 2 - Overlord Glacier and Overlord Mountain - click here for more http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlake/overlord070112/


http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...acierclimb.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...ssileswiss.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...utmoonrise.jpg

Day 3 - click here for more:

Fissile Peak - Saddle Chute - Fissile Bowl

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlake/fissile070113/

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...ssileridge.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...lswisswait.jpg

Crikey. That is spectacular.

I haven't seen a trip report this beautiful since Punani got let into the AVN show.

Lee - some of the best photos ever posted here.

Thanks.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LeeLau

Day 3 - click here for more:

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...lswisswait.jpg

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Very nice !

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...uskcloseup.jpg

beautiful pics, can I touch you?

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...issilebowl.jpg[/QUOTE]

argh!!! damit that picture just reminds me how choked I was to call you on the radio. Damn legs giving out. Thats it, I'm eating nothing but bacon wrapped steak from now on.

Nice pictures. Lee delivers again and again and again.

Beautiful Lee. You and ISKIBC hands down put the best threads up on this site week in and week out. Looks like its going to be another fine weekend up here in fantasyland with around 30cms of cold smoke projected. See ya up there

Wow Lee! Love your day 2 shots.

Last day - click here for more
http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlake/benvolio070114/

Mount Fitzsimmons - North face - Overlord Glacier

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...lacierskin.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...iereastcol.jpg

http://www.leelau.net/2007/russetlak...4/19jonski.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Eldo

Excellent photos. But what the hell is sastrugi? It sounds like an Italian dessert. ;)

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Look closely at some of the photos, particularly the first one of Day 2 -that's sastrugi- wind hammered snow that appears sculpted and is as hard as the back of some heads that I know.
I was at Whistler Mtn from Jan 8 -13 and on the 9th or 10th the winds were high velocity and constant

nice TR Lee, you've got some awsome shots there. As my attorney I'm going to have to ask you to contact yourself about some of the photo credits.

bumpitybump

Those swiss dudes have nothing on you, Lee...


















It must have taken forever to ski cut your website address into all those slopes. ;)

Seriously though. Beautiful, beautiful shots. Thanks for sharing. My "tour" to Russet was a bit more, umm, raw when I tried it in June.

Jeez Lee. Setting the bar HIGH on that one, thanks for sharing those, I promise not to steal 'em.