Click to hear me sing
Mt. Gordon
Elevation:
Height Gain from hut:
Height Gain from car:
Location:
 10,508 ft (3203M)
2,789 ft (850M)
4,069 ft (1240M) Wapta Icefields
Note for 01 Apr 01: I did this trip with the Norseman's Ski Club. Nine of us were on this trip. We left Bow Hut under near whiteout conditions, but as we made our way to the base of Gordon, the skies began to clear. By the time we were on the summit, we were treated with spectacular views. Temperatures stayed around the freezing mark, but a chilly breeze kept our goretex layers on. Incredible powder the entire way back to Bow Hut. Some of the best skiing all year.
Note for 03 Mar 02: I did this with Tom McMahon. Very windy, off and on whiteouts, GPS navigation, avalanche danger, deep trail breaking, hard to ski crusty snow, etc. It was quality suffering.

Note for 04 May 03: I did this with Blair Piggot, Simon Holland, and Jim Everard. This was done as a day trip from the Bow Lake parking lot. Hot and sunny conditions. Incredible powder and fantastic skiing all the way back to the hut.

Note for 01 Jan 05: Too cold to climb ice, so Blair and I decided to check out the Wapta in search of good turns. It was okay, but nothing to brag about. I actually stopped at the big rock because of a chest cold taking it's toll. Blair continued to the summit. The times below are for Blair.

Note for 21 Jan 06: I went with Blair Piggot, Jason Wilcox, and Vern Dewit. For Jason and Vern, it was their first true ski mountaineering experience. Lots of fun. Snow conditions were slow. Areas that you usually coast across, you have to pole your way across, as a result, the descent was slow.
  Date Ascent Time Descent Time
1st Time 01 Apr 01 2:40 from hut 0:35 to hut
2nd Time 03 Mar 02 3:10 from hut 1:50 to hut
3rd Time 04 May 03 forgot forgot
4th Time 01 Jan 05 4:00 from car 1:45 to car
5th Time 21 Jan 06 5:10 from car 2:30 to car
01 Apr 01 - This picture was taken from the summit of St. Nicholas. The ascent route goes up the right side, around the little rock spur and then to the summit.



01 Apr 01 - We left the Bow Hut under near white-out conditions. We thought we would only get to the top of the hill and see from there. Then, we decided to go across the Wapta to the base of Gordon and see from there. Before we knew it, we had decided to go for the summit. Fortunately, the weather started to clear as we skied up the slopes of Gordon. Here we see Rob skiing toward Gordon. If you look closely, you can see Gordon on the left side of the picture.



01 Apr 01 - We broke through a small cornice and then we were on the summit ridge. At this point, Rob got a big burst of energy, and away he went. As you can see, the weather was getting much better, and the ski back down was starting to look promising.



01 Apr 01 - A couple of minutes after Rob reach the summit, I was right behind him. Terrific views of Collie, South Rhondda, St. Nick, Olive, and Balfour.
Click here to see a larger version.



04 May 03 - This is Jim coming across the Wapta with St. Nicholas behind him. St. Nick looks a lot different from this side.



04 May 03 - Here we see Blair standing next to the randkluft surrounding the 'big rock' on Gordon. After the 'big rock', you have to go through a cornice, then the summit is only minutes away.



04 May 03 - This is (left to right) Blair, Simon and myself. Jim is taking the picture.