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Club Events 2004 : 2004-08-21 : COC - Athabasca Glacier Ice Hike

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Some of the group came in from camping in Jasper to rendezvous with the rest of the folks coming in from Calgary. Kate, who was camping from yesterday's event was along for the ride home and had to wait for us while we did the ice hike. We recommended that she do Wilcox Pass hike, but she never made it to the trailhead, in spite of her valient attempts at hitchhiking the couple kms down the highway (perhaps next time she'll heed my advice and show some leg). The rest of us did an equipment check at the parking lot, and then we walked up the trail to the toe of the glacier. As we donned our equipment (harnesses, helmets and crampons), we discovered a grave problem with Dusan's crampons and woefully, he was sent away to try to catch up with Kate, or otherwise amuse himself for the day. The remaining eleven hiked up the toe of the Athabasca Glacier, and received some basic instructions on walking on the glacier with our crampons. Up and up we went, beyond the point where the 'official' walkway is on the ice that Parks has set up for public use. We passed the Snocoach base, and proceeded beyond the marker pole to where we found a most spectacular crevasse. Dave scouted out the crevasses for us while the rest of us ooh'd, ahhhh'd, and photographed what we could see from the top. We played in "our" crevasse for the rest of our time on the glacier, exploring from the top, walking down from the side, and (almost) everyone rappelling down into the wet dirty ice cavern. A quick hike down and a look at another smaller crevasse, and then we joined onto the 'official' walkway, turning the heads of all the tourists sliding around on the glacier in their runners, sandals and shorts. At the bottom, one man approached to get his photo taken with a "mountain man", and first Mehraniac, and then Dave, were happy to oblige. Some Asian ladies with pink boas for scarves then accosted Rhonda to videotape her crampons. Back at the parking lot, Dusan and Kate rendezvoused with the group for the 'important' parts of the day: Hot Chocolate at the Icefield Center, and then dinner in Banff. -- Rhonda

Notes

Actions

Some of the group came in from camping in Jasper to rendezvous with the rest of the folks coming in from Calgary. Kate, who was camping from yesterday's event was along for the ride home and had to wait for us while we did the ice hike. We recommended that she do Wilcox Pass hike, but she never made it to the trailhead, in spite of her valient attempts at hitchhiking the couple kms down the highway (perhaps next time she'll heed my advice and show some leg).

The rest of us did an equipment check at the parking lot, and then we walked up the trail to the toe of the glacier. As we donned our equipment (harnesses, helmets and crampons), we discovered a grave problem with Dusan's crampons and woefully, he was sent away to try to catch up with Kate, or otherwise amuse himself for the day.

The remaining eleven hiked up the toe of the Athabasca Glacier, and received some basic instructions on walking on the glacier with our crampons. Up and up we went, beyond the point where the 'official' walkway is on the ice that Parks has set up for public use. We passed the Snocoach base, and proceeded beyond the marker pole to where we found a most spectacular crevasse. Dave scouted out the crevasses for us while the rest of us ooh'd, ahhhh'd, and photographed what we could see from the top.

We played in "our" crevasse for the rest of our time on the glacier, exploring from the top, walking down from the side, and (almost) everyone rappelling down into the wet dirty ice cavern.

A quick hike down and a look at another smaller crevasse, and then we joined onto the 'official' walkway, turning the heads of all the tourists sliding around on the glacier in their runners, sandals and shorts. At the bottom, one man approached to get his photo taken with a "mountain man", and first Mehraniac, and then Dave, were happy to oblige. Some Asian ladies with pink boas for scarves then accosted Rhonda to videotape her crampons.

Back at the parking lot, Dusan and Kate rendezvoused with the group for the 'important' parts of the day: Hot Chocolate at the Icefield Center, and then dinner in Banff.

-- Rhonda