Haffner Creek Ice Climbing.

Haffner Creek.

The winter not only brings great skiing to our mountains here in BC and Alberta.
For many years I have been wrapped up in the skiing of winter. Heli-skiing and ski touring saw most of my time. Climbing has been a back ground to many Mountain Guides and Ski Guides. I have neglected the development of intense mixed ice and rock climbing in the last 20 years.
While off at Christmas Loree and I hiked into Haffner Creek along the Radium Highway with Jeff Relph a co-guide at the Monashee Lodge. I have read the MCR's and heard many stories of the mixed climbing there and finally want ed to see it for myself. Off we went.

Yup I sure missed that period, I now feel my age and distance to the sport of Ice Climbing.
But here is what I saw.

The climbing now is as hard as sport rock climbing with all ice climbing tools and skills which are gymnastic in nature. Ice is not necessary but does add to the interest of the climbs.
Haffner Creek is a condensed canyon with numerous sections of 15-30m climbs mixed and straight. One could label this as ice crag, cause it sure saw a collection of folks out for the holidays.

Under the daggers

Will go again to Haffner Creek as it holds a lot of interesting climbs and folks who train for the bigger challenges of the area in Banff Park. Much to do and see.

Rog

Heli-skiing starts!

Heli Skiing in the Monashees starts finally!

We have just finished our Guides Training and Staff setup for the 2011 season.
Monashees was the host lodge for this winters for 2 of the 3 guides trainings sessions.
Each year all the ski guides and area managers get together to our minds back in the snow and skiing programs for CMH.  This includes going out skiing in the the Monashee terrain which is a delight to do.

Dave Schwan skiing on Christmas in Soards Creek, Monashees.

However the snow has been slow to arrive in the Monashee Mountains, actually most of interior BC's mountains but that did not stop us from have some good skiing.

 Rig Red in Soards Creek.
Our first week was canceled due to lack of suitable coverage in the valleys just not enough snow to be safe. A second storm came along and gave us enough snow to open the season.

Finally the skiing is excellent and stability is also good, which means a green list for Soards Creek.

As the end of the year is  now on us we are back to some good old snow fall at Monashee Lodge.

50cm of new snow in 24hours!
Great way to start the 2011 winter.......Powder!

Rog

A few of our feathered friends from this year.

This years birding season!


Reflecting back on this year, I thought let's have look at some of this years birds that wandered into the crosshairs of the big lenses. One of spring's first birds is the Red winged blackbird, early morning squawker in the marsh. Shortly after that are their relatives the Yellow headed Blackbird which I still have not gotten an image of.

Then as soon as the flowers start to bloom the hummingbirds show up in mass. These birds go all over during the summer, countless times I have been hummed on at the tops of mountains far from any flowers at all. That is a rare sight. In the valleys the Calliope and Rufous are the main hummingbirds seen, however the Black Chinned Hummingbird do visit the Columbia Valley once in awhile, and it is on my list to capture.

I was able to catch the Sandhill Crane, which is local to BC/Alberta, and the Arctic in our summer.
These big birds are such a treat to see and even more so when they cross in front of the lens. There are lots of big birds in the Columbia Valley wetlands, and this area is a known haven for birders.

Another commonly seen, and my favourite the Wood Duck. One of the more colourful ducks in the pond and certainly easy to spot when in the open. A very lucky chance, while I was at the Alpine Clubs General Mountaineering Camp this summer, several of us including Jiri Novak a birder from Calgary, identified a Semi-palmated Sandpiper shown below. This bird would normally be in the Arctic Ocean areas, but a small number of them were in Battle Brook right beside our dining tent. I wasted no time in capturing this fellow as it waded the stream in front of us.

Marsh Wrens are also numerous in the Columbia Valley, but getting them on camera is a different story. With a large lens and being able to chase it in your viewfinder is key, albeit a crosseyed affair.

Then the Common House Sparrow below found lurking in the spruces and firs.

 

 

The Great Blue Heron which is found all over the place, including marshes, ponds and rivers. These birds are numerous and skittish. Near Golden a large rookery of GBH nests are watched for their arrival in the spring and finally for the departure in fall. As many as 35+ nests have been counted there.

 

Osprey are also numerous in the Columbia Valley, as one drives along Hwy 93. They nest on fake, old and dedicated power poles. It always impresses me that they have to nest near or on power poles, and in some cases on the huge hydro towers carrying 500 KV of power. That would be to much static for me.

 

Now as the leaves are all gone snow berries are abundant, Grosbeaks have found an autumn feast, holding them well into the winter snow. Stellar Jays have come down from the mountains, and can be heard off in the forest. Winter is quiet with only a few dwellers around, but when spring arrives once again, our feathered friends will arrive happily and ready for new season in the mountains.