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The pack leaders approaching the summit above the SW Face

I’ve been excited to post about this day out as we were treated to absolutely fantastic early winter light,  incredible views throughout the day, and we skied a line I have been dreaming about for as long as I have been skiing at Rogers Pass.  As you approach the pass from the west on a clear day, the upper W Face of Mt Cheops towers above the TCH like an Alaskan dream:  steep, caked in snow, featured with gullies and ribs.  With good stability and a nice 20+ of cold winter snow laid in with minimal wind, conditions proved perfect.

As we threw ideas around on the drive up, Colorado Doug’s suggestion (backed up with route photos)  came out on top.   Doug had skied “Junction East”  the week before, ticking another line in his Snow Peas project (a list of at least 134 slide path’s along the corridor created by the TCH cutting a path thru the Selkirks), and was keen to nab the west line today.

Cheops W photo copyright Greg Hill

 In the spirit of the holidays we had a large crew together: Joey and Danyelle, Doug, Dave and Heather, Trace, and myself.  The crew got prepped at the RPC while Dave and I shuttled a car down to Loop Brook,then we were off…up to Balu pass and along the N ridge of Cheops.  It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words,  so here you go…

Starting up the first steep section of the ridge.

Silhouette of the Cheops Ridge with some color on the left.

Martin caught in the act of laying perfect tracks off Video Peak.

Looking NW up the Cougar Valley.

Cousins Doug and Dave gettin' up one of the steep steps along the ridge.

Dave shootin for the moon...

Joey and Danyelle approaching the summit.

Colorado Doug having a look down Junction West.

Me, skiing the run of my dreams...photo copyright Doug Sproul.

Doug and Trace looking back on an amazing run.

Myself headin' for Junction West. Photo copyright Doug Sproul.

Thanks for the vision Doug!