As I look out my window towards the Tantalus Range the first significant snow is blanketing the peaks I spend way too much time dreaming about. With November only one day away winter looks to be taking over in the alpine. What better a time to reflect on the Tantalizing April G3 trip I was fortunate enough to catch a ride on 6 months ago. It's no secret the 2014/15 season was far from what we have come to expect in our part of the world. We had everything thrown at us from no snow to pineapple monsoons and long periods of wide-spread boilerplate. Before the season began the boys at G3 threw a dart on the calendar and it landed perfectly on what turned out to be one of the best weeks of the season. Jackpot! Better yet I was equipped with a brand new 2016 G3 Scapegoat Carbon splitty and the new and improved G3 Alpinist High Traction skins. I can't imagine a better place to become acquainted and break in the new gear.
Our crew was a mix of Sea to Sky G3 riders all anxious to milk one more big trip out of the season. I met Marcus, Taran and Stevie at the Squamish airport and we made sure the beer to gear ratio was just right!
The flight over Lovelywater showed just how boney the spring conditions were.
We flew through the Serratus Alpha col where I found myself just a few months earlier in the summer months.
After a short flight from the summery conditions in Squamish we arrived at the Jim Haberl Hut where Jamie and Grant greeted us. To top it off, Jamie was just preparing a gourmet alpine dinner!
So many possibilities....
We spent the evening taking in the epic sunset in every direction with classic alpenglow lighting up the high peaks. (Photo: Dom Balik)
Even Horseshoe Bay and West Vancouver were visible from this place!
After a solid nights sleep I made sure to rise early enough to catch the Mount Garibaldi sunrise....
After breakfast we skinned up and headed south from the hut towards our days objectives....
After a short traverse we were in the Serratus Ionia Col.
Marcus looked at the possibilities on Mt Pandareus....
Taran was the first to drop into the bowl below Ionia....
Once on the Crescent Glacier the group split up. James and Marcus scoped a juicy looking line on Mt Pandareus....
Meanwhile Jamie, Taran and myself booted up a line on Ionia and found some waist deep nicely preserved pow.
Marcus Waring....
Jamie Bond....
Taran Orleib and Jamie Bond....
Jamie finds a nice rib to slash....
James McSkimming found one on the nicest lines of the day on Pandareus.... Check out this great video from Grant Baldwin from this trip here....
The mid day sun crept up fast so it was time to get out from under the april Cornices....
Back at the col we dropped into the west facing slopes of Ionia and found some pow mixed with spring corn....
This was a scenic zone....
After a great day out we arrived back at the hut and decided to have a big line BBQ....
Stevie and I decided to hang back and prepare the food while the others headed up Serratus's west face.
From this place we could see our lines on Ionia....
It was cool to spot a Brackendale Bald Eagle this high up in the Tantalus Range....
Marcus dropped in from the summit of Serratus....
And slayed this juicy line....
Stevie watched on as James dropped into a beautiful spine on Serratus. He's visible just above her touque....
Cheers to a great day in the mountains!
The group was stoked!
The evening was spent revelling in a fabulous day....
Jamie, Grant and I were set to fly out the next morning so we would have to make the most of the next day. We rose well before sunrise and traversed out to hit the North Face of Serratus. The plan was a heli pick up below the Serratus Glacier....
Mission accomplished!
Before long we were in the A-Star and en route back to Squamish just in time for breakfast. Spending time in the Tantalus Range so close to home it's hard not to appreciate just how unbelievable and amazing our back-yard is! A big thanks goes out to G3 for making this trip a reality.... See you soon Tantalus Range!
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