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Old 12-12-2007, 07:33 PM
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Default High Altitude

The Clash and a couple others had me traveling back though time. Thought a few here , like those crazy sheep hunters ( ) may like a few pictures of high altitude places.
This will be an on going (dial up killer) topic. Hope other will post as well.
The main theme will be the high places. Climbing (those silly sheep/goat hunters do it as well ! (see NDN/Bigbore topic) )
Anyway, being sort of "off" season, thought some may be interested.
I KNOW Tree Guy will be, as anything where a major wreck can happen, he is not far away

I'll start out with the view from my window back in the 80s, at about 3AM one night. Mt Kitchener:

For the climbers here, look in your "book" (ok, how many have the 1st & 2nd edition ? ) of Water Fall Ice. Two main routes to an "interesting" exit onto the Icefield. I always wanted to do it (back then) but had no takers: nearly 50% death rate on those climbs.

To the south of Mt Kitchner is the Athabasca Glacier. With luck Thumper sees this topic and can add some newer pictures to show the changes since the mid 80s ?


Next on the road to the south will be Mt. Athabasca. Many on this forum will have seen it. Pay attention to the north face & the curving snow "slope" to the right of the north face: test later Well, maybe not...always wanted to do the north face: didn't find a partner(that I trusted).

However, I did Silverhorn with a fella that has the same name as the fella that took out Pres. Lincoln: Robert Ford !
This is the view from the saddle , looking at the summit ridge "walk".

And the view from up there, looking at Wilcox pass & Tangle Ridge (not to be confused with that nasty , nasty tasting Whiskey !)


To end this first post, a picture of Tangle Falls. If you have ever traveled HWY 93 south from Jasper to Lake Louise , you passed this Falls at approx 60 miles south of Jasper, on the east side.

Last edited by Reeves1; 12-12-2007 at 07:44 PM.
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Old 12-12-2007, 07:57 PM
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Second last picture, see the Lizard ? Sunwapta Peak. Wilcox pass is a day hike, to the right the razor ridge.
Interesting thing about the razor ridge, sort of. Wardens did a two man team (back then) and it took, if I remember right, about 16 hours. I wanted to do better:solo. Started out at a very fast speed from camp, all going well, till nearly the top part. Took a step and my left knee was in so much pain I nearly passed out: OPPS ! Took longer to get back to camp than it took to get to that point.
Turned out I tore the tendon off of the tib (between knee cap and tib) 3/4s of the way.
However, I had a ton of time off (thank you Gov. sick time ) and went on to have the best year of my climbing career
Doc Henderson did an awesome job ! (Edmonton, head of sports injuries etc.)

Last edited by Reeves1; 12-12-2007 at 08:19 PM.
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Old 12-12-2007, 08:42 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Reeves View Post
I KNOW Tree Guy will be, as anything where a major wreck can happen, he is not far away
Wha, wh,wh, what's THAT mean?

Great pics, but even on my high speed, the thread is really slow to load.

Oh well, I have very few digitized, but I'll try and dig 'em out.

Tree
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Old 12-12-2007, 08:58 PM
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some great shots...and great places........
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Old 12-12-2007, 09:04 PM
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took these last weekend....waterton was in splendid form.

grrr i can never get pics to work!!!..what a moron i am!!!



the second pic is a sweet backcountry bowl that is crying out to feel my snowboard.....just no one else i ride with own a beacon, probe or a shovel.....so until then i will have to wait.!!

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Old 12-12-2007, 09:43 PM
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Quote:
Great pics, but even on my high speed, the thread is really slow to load.
Going to get slower, I have lots to post ! And I have dial-up !

Clash - great pictures and it gives us an idea of how psycho you snow boarders can be
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Old 12-12-2007, 09:45 PM
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haha to the right of the edge of the photo there is a wind lip that is achingly beautiful and begging to be dropped.....
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Old 12-12-2007, 10:39 PM
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Hi Reeves, were you working for Brewster or Parks Canada back then? Also, one of my supervisors is named Rob Ford, good chance he is the one you mention. Great photos guys!
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Old 12-13-2007, 06:59 AM
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Quote:
one of my supervisors is named Rob Ford
He still working on the hill ? Say high to the ski bum for me From the fella that did Silver Horn with him.....

Last edited by Reeves1; 12-13-2007 at 08:34 AM.
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Old 12-13-2007, 09:19 AM
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Thanks for the pics. They brought back some great memories of standing on Athabasca. At first I thought you were posting pick of a climb on Kitchner. Those 2 seconds of anticipation made my day.

Nice shots all.
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Old 12-13-2007, 10:15 AM
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Grand Central Couloir on Kitchener is a very serious climb. I did "dream" about climbing it one day: glad I got over it

As the water from the Athabasca Glacier moves north, it has to go through a steep and weeping gully. Ice in it forms one year and not the next. Depends a great deal on how cold and how soon. In the pictures to follow it was a great year for ice !


An interesting key stone you have to go under. Note the face in the ice on the lower right.


For those with the ice climbing books, this is where First Lead, Miller Time and J.D are located.

Peter Jowett about to start his "First Lead".


This next one is for Big Bull. Rob Ford & myself on Millar Time. Look at that fool on the top left. That hat is right out of the move The Eiger Sanction !

Big Bull, PM me for my e-mail so I can get in touch to send more pictures of Rob to you/him.

Last edited by Reeves1; 12-13-2007 at 10:25 AM.
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Old 12-13-2007, 11:35 AM
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some great looking ice.....ok it is settled by this time next year i will have convinced at least one friend to get into ice!!!!
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Old 12-13-2007, 11:39 AM
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I watched a program on Nova the other day about high elevation climbing and the effects of accute mountain sickness. It was an incredible show. It followed some climbers on Denali and they tracked their core temperature and 02 levels and talked a lot about ams. If you get a chance to see it, it was a really good program. It was on PBS.

Great pics here btw.
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Old 12-13-2007, 11:48 AM
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I've seen a few shows & read a lot about mountain sickness. Not a good thing to end up with.
Had hopes of getting this next picture up before sheep guys looked here...
Thumper, is this "the one" ?


One more for you...

Last edited by Reeves1; 12-13-2007 at 12:40 PM.
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Old 12-13-2007, 12:27 PM
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one of my professors was on the denali rescue team for a few years. his stories about ams want to make you move to sea level and never leave hahaha
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Old 12-13-2007, 12:59 PM
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Thumper mentioned Pat Sheehan. On November 26 1992 the warden died on Melt Out. RIP , my friend.
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Old 12-13-2007, 01:31 PM
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that looks amazing..that is exactly my style for an ice climb. i will have to get o that someday!!
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Old 12-13-2007, 01:31 PM
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I also knew Pat, great guy. PMs sent.
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Old 12-13-2007, 05:41 PM
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Climbing is much like shooting. The more you practice, the more you push your limits, the better you'll be at it. So after work & on some days off during the summer, some friends and I would go to the Athabasca Glacier and rappel down into mill wells. Great areas to do vertical and over hanging ice !
How they form is water will find a crack and pour into it and enlarge it.
Peter Jowett in photo. Whom, by the way, is the author of the book: Nahanni the River Guide.


Hope he or some Warden reads this & contacts me: I have a picture or two I'd like to have pinned up in their office
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Old 12-13-2007, 07:21 PM
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Amazing stuff Reeves. I didn't know you were famous.

Anyway, most of my pics are not from a digital camera and I don't own a scanner, but they're WAAAYYYYY better than your pics!

No they're not!

Here's a few of my favourites. The first bunch are with my brothers and sister-in-law. Minor scramble up Mt Indefatiguable for a 4 some with two first-timers. I really love the views up there. I made the newbies do a figure 8 rappel using me as the anchor.......trust me!

The last one if I've done this right is my favourite. Long story, but my son and I did about a 500m vertical hike up to C-Level Cirque in Banff. He rocked and I've been dreaming about a sheep hunt as his first in a few years when he turns 12. Who knows, but ya gotta set goals. Enjoy!

Tree
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Old 12-13-2007, 07:57 PM
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Cool pictures !

Goofy "sport" eh, climb one pile of rocks , to look at other piles of rocks
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Old 12-13-2007, 09:40 PM
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Great pictures guys.
They remind me of a few I have taken while backcountry sledding.
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Old 12-13-2007, 10:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Reeves View Post
Cool pictures !

Goofy "sport" eh, climb one pile of rocks , to look at other piles of rocks
As Hillary said, "Because it's there". I'm far more simple. After busting my hump (90% scrambling), I want to see what's on the other side.

Here are some of my favourite arb-pics. Enjoy.

Tree

PS The one with the kids I've named, 'The Future'.
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  #24  
Old 12-13-2007, 11:12 PM
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isn't that the defenition of canadian rockies climbing..."move from this choss pile to that choss pile...try to get a nut in..then keep moving or else you will slide backwards...."
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Old 12-13-2007, 11:19 PM
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Sorry lads
- I'll leave the ropes & crampons to you guys.

"because it's there" has never been enough for me....but if there's a fishy-looking pond on the topo map, I'll hump my carcass over just about anything to float a fly in it!

And Reeves, a mirror image of that ram might be 'him'. Is that photo right-way-around? That big nick was on his left horn.

First photo was him in his prime, see how fresh that nick was - and close to his skull?
Second photo he's past prime. See the same nick is much farther back as the horn grew out over the years.



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  #26  
Old 12-13-2007, 11:20 PM
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Okay, posting a picture of a ram like that without a story is just plain cruel!
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Old 12-13-2007, 11:28 PM
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just some fun stuff.....
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  #28  
Old 12-14-2007, 08:38 AM
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love the pics of the sheep.....the rest of you guys are freakin NUTS
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