Bugaboos, British Colombia, Canada,
Summer 2007
My pal Ken and I took a month during summer 2007 to climb in Rocky
Mountain National Park, CO; Grand Teton National Park, WY; and Bugaboo Glacier
Provincial Park, BC. In the Bugaboos we stayed in the Conrad Kain climbing hut and had
several days of good climbing weather and a few days of snow and rain.
Here are some photos from the Bugaboos leg of the trip.
Hiking in
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Chicken wire and fenceposts!
Word here is that porcupines will chew apart the soft underbelly of your vehicle if given the chance. The park graciously provides chicken wire with which you can fashion a protective barrier for your car. |
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Barrier established
I can't help but wonder if this is all cooked up by the locals for laughs. Has anyone out there actually had their car chewed up? |
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Rain forest
Obviously it is very wet here. |
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Pretty flowers along the trail
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Rock, ice and more pretty flowers
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More rock, more ice and more pretty flowers
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Yup, they are pretty
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Trail to Conrad Kain hut
The hike is short and sweet. Parts are blasted into the canyon wall. |
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Trail to Conrad Kain hut
Vertical trail. |
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More scenery on the trail
The ample precipitation provides lots of ice and lush vegetation. |
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Close-up of fireweed
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More scenery on the trail
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The Conrad Kain Hut
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Front entrance to hut
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Hut outhouses
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Conrad Kain
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Kitchen
When the hut is at capacity the kitchen is elbow-to-elbow. |
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Main sitting area. Very cozy in bad weather.
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Gear drying area
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Porcupines again
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Trail from hut. Snowpatch Spire in background.
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Sleeping area. Again, elbow-to-elbow when hut is full.
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Hydropower electric generator for hut.
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Climbing
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Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col; Pigeon Spire in background
Access to much of the climbing is through this col. It is steep, crevasse-ridden and prone to rockfall. It demands respect. |
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Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col
Approaching the steeper slopes. During our stay a climber fell and was injured on this slope and had to be helicoptered out. |
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Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col
Bergschrund near top of col. |
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Bugaboo-Snowpatch Col
Top of col looking down toward Crescent Glacier and hut. |
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Icefall between Pigeon and Snowpatch from south
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Porta-john at Bugaboo-Snowpatch col
Pigeon spire in background. |
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On Cain Route, Bugaboo Spire
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Upper part of Cain Route
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There are a couple pitches of technical climbing on the upper part of Cain Route
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Bugaboo Spire summit ridge
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On top of Bugaboo Spire
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Snowpatch Spire
Snowpatch route ascends from other side to saddle on L then up to R of snow patch. Climbing not technically difficult but routefinding is very exacting. |
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Snowpatch Route, Snowpatch Spire
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Rappel route off of Snowpatch
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McTech Arete ascends arete in center of photo
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Crux pitch of McTech arete
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Small roof on McTech Arete
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Same roof
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Our Canadian friends
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