Pocaterra Ridge - 2017 When we arrived at the Highwood Pass the weather looked very grim. Cloud obscured the surrounding peaks; the temperature was around 5C; and it was raining with a stiff breeze. The group rapidly shrank down to 4 members as we considered our options for the day. We had intended to leave a vehicle at the north end of the trail but felt uncomfortable making a commitment do the whole ridge given the weather conditions, and potential for snow. We headed off at 9:30 am with a plan to do Grizzly Col or the south end of Pocaterra Ridge. The first 2 km were easy going but then we ran into a significant amount of snow in the trees and meadows. The isothermal snow was over a metre deep in places and made for very slow going. There has been a lot of avalanche activity in the alpine from the surrounding slopes which has left large, dense accumulations of snow that will likely be lingering until mid-July, although it did make for a more supportive snow pack for walking. The approach to Grizzly Col was completely snow covered, but the normal route up Pocaterra was clear, so we decided to head up to the high point which we reached at about 12:15 pm. Thankfully at this point the cloud lifted and the sun came as we ate our lunches. There was even discussion about pressing on and doing the ridge after all, as it was for the most part completely clear of snow, but the challenge would have been the potential for deep snow in the trees at the north end.

As we ate lunch Manfred and John mentioned an unusual bird call they had been hearing but were unable to see anything. The significance of these sounds would become apparent as we descended. We were about 100m below the ridge when a helicopter suddenly appeared and did a brief hover over our lunch spot before dropping down and landing 150m from us. As the man in a bright orange overall jumped out and trudged through the snow towards us we were all wondering what rule we had broken. There was a moment of anxiety when the man asked if there was a John Duerden in the group, and then went on to explain that they had received a brief SOS signal from his InReach and there had been no response to text messages . When John hastily dug the device out his pack it was not transmitting and the safety switch intended to prevent an accidental transmission was in the locked position. The bird sounds that we had been hearing were in fact the follow-up text messages arriving on the InReach from the emergency services. The timing and location of the SOS transmission matched perfectly with John sitting down on his pack to have lunch on the ridge. Needless to say we offered our sincere apologies for the inconvenience, but the rescue specialist indicated they have had other false alerts caused by folks sitting on there packs. So there was a learning for all of us. Thanks to John, Manfred and Bart for braving the conditions. John C/S.


Alpine meadows on approach to Pocaterra Ridge. View of Grizzly Col. Note avalanche debris

The team having lunch on Pocaterra Ridge

Looking north along Pocaterra Ridge. Mostly clear of snow.

Descending south facing slopes which already had a display of glacier lilies and anemones

The unexpected visit from emergency services.

---