Five days of skiing in the Tonquin Valley area. One day of not so good weather, the four others quite sunny. Hard and crusty snow at lower elevations but great snow once at a reasonable elevation. Superb hospitality and food provided at Dixon's Lodge in the Tonquin Valley.

Day 1 - Friday was the drive to Jasper on bare and dry roads and the ski into Edith Cavell Hostel on icy and crusty snow. All of us pretty much used skins at some point on this trip even though the climb is not really that steep. We arrived at the hostel around 5:00. Supper and the normal hostel duties were in order for that evening with some chat with other people also staying at the hostel.

Day 2 - Saturday. Most of us used skins today on the trip up to the Wates/Gibson Hut. Dave did take his off for the flatter section and seemed to get reasonable glide but put them on once the climbing began. The snow improved as we climbed higher, but the terrain also became steeper so skins were still in order on the final climb to the W/G hut. We arrived sometime after three and basically unpacked and performed the usual hut duties of gathering water, stoking the fire, etc.

Wates-Gibson Hut

By the time some of us were ready to go again it was a little late for the Fraser Glacier so Christine took us on a toodle around Outpost Lake.


Outpost L./Alicja,Chris,Yoko/

Well, this actually turned into a cloodle (toodle with a climb)as some of the group climbed up at the backend of the lake. So a few of us headed back early as we had had sufficient climbing for the day.


Outpost L../BOB/

The group finished the day with making supper, cleaning up and talking to the volunteer hut custodian and his girlfriend in the evening about their trips they had done in the area.

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Maccarib Pass /Dave, Russ, Corrina, Bill, Jim, Janet, Greg, Chris, Jay, Alicja, Bob, Susan, Carmie, Yoko/.

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Wolf

Portal Cr./Susan/.

Dixon's /Bill, Alicja, Greg, Susan, Carmie, Ivan, Yoko, Bob, Dave, Corrina, Russ, Janet, Jim, Chris, Jay.

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Ramparts/Dave M./

Dixon's outhouse

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Tonquin V.

Tonquin V.

Eremite V.

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Eremite V./Yoko,Ivan,Alicja/

Eremite V./Alicja/

Maccarib P.

Thanks to Ivan, Yoko, Greg, Russ, Corrina, Jeannine, David, Janet, Susan, Bill, Alicja, Jim, Christine and Carmie for making this a memorable trip. A special thanks to Ivan who made the reservations and handled the financial concerns. Ivan also has provided some of the photos of the trip.

Bob Coordinator and Scribe