Riding Castle Ski Hill Before Opening?

[shawnmcgr]

The pipeline and the BC side in general gets way less wind...days it is blowing on the Alberta side it can be totally calm on the pipeline...

Ya, that's why I generally prefer to ride out of Corbin. That and the one time we went over the Middle kootney Pass we dropped into a valley that was one avy after another....we still call it avalanche alley.

I have not given the Alberta side much of a chance....I may have to try the lakes as it looks like some good tree riding!

 

[ronmexico]

Aw Oh........! I was thinking about doing a trip through the middle Kootnay pass to get to Harvey, but sounds like BIG-TIME avy danger. I dont like the sound of that.
We have another thread going about Harvey that im sure you guys have read over where Snotrocket says he stages at Corbin and then rips down the Flathead road to Harvey. That looks like a safer route on google earth as its a wider valley than Middle Koot. Its just the mid koot was alot closer to Lethbridge driving as well as the trail ride compared to Corbin. Although i dont think there are any play areas along the way via the middle koot pass way compared to the Corbin route.

 

[throttle-up]

Aw Oh........! I was thinking about doing a trip through the middle Kootnay pass to get to Harvey, but sounds like BIG-TIME avy danger. I dont like the sound of that.
We have another thread going about Harvey that im sure you guys have read over where Snotrocket says he stages at Corbin and then rips down the Flathead road to Harvey. That looks like a safer route on google earth as its a wider valley than Middle Koot. Its just the mid koot was alot closer to Lethbridge driving as well as the trail ride compared to Corbin. Although i dont think there are any play areas along the way via the middle koot pass way compared to the Corbin route.

There is one spot that is tricky for an avy but after that it's not bad. There is some good play areas by the middle kootenay pass if you know where to go. The corbin idea isn't bad and the road gets a lot less bumpy the further south you go.

 

[shawnmcgr]

That google earth is amazing isn't it! Blows me away that I can sit in an arm chair and roll through 3-d maps and be able to see individual trees! You can get a good feel for the lay of the land before you even get out there.

We must have crossed 6 old avys coming out of that valley. It seemed every 500m we were up and over another old avy. Never saw one but made me a little nervous!

 

[ronmexico]

Ya google earth is a pretty cool tool.

Has anyone ever come across a monster avy that has made you detour your route? Sure would suck if you staged on Alberta side by Castle and went riding to Harvey via middle kootenay pass and came back and a HUGE avy with boulder sized chunks blocked the way......

From viewing on google earth it looks like the worst avy danger is immediately coming over the middle Koot into BC for about 4km until you get out of that first valley then that looks to be it, as it opens up into the flathead.

 

[snotterite]

The MKP is no worst for avies than the South bowls of Harvey towards Frozen.....Yes there is a few dangerous spots...We rode it at least 10 times last year and 100's of times in our lives a avy has never blocked us. It is in opinion the most dangerous of the 3 passes.....but the fastest. 1 and 3 have some tight tree riding.

 

[shawnmcgr]

Ya, that first 4km is what we call avy alley. No I've never had a path blocked by an avy. We must have just hit it after some high avy activity for whatever reason - we have only ridden it the once.

That was one of my first rides after I moved to Calgary from Kamloops and it was a bit of an eye openner. Across all of these avy's then through two creeks that were in 6ft deep trenches and finally we get to the Flathead river and it's open (about 40 yards across and 1-2ft deep - if I remember right). It was entertaining!

 

[snotterite]

Ya, that first 4km is what we call avy alley. No I've never had a path blocked by an avy. We must have just hit it after some high avy activity for whatever reason - we have only ridden it the once.

That was one of my first rides after I moved to Calgary from Kamloops and it was a bit of an eye openner. Across all of these avy's then through two creeks that were in 6ft deep trenches and finally we get to the Flathead river and it's open (about 40 yards across and 1-2ft deep - if I remember right). It was entertaining!

On you drop on the BC side take Outpost trail half way down to left looking west you will see a small orange marker .......creeks are snow bridged by late DEC....and it will take you to a FlatHead crossing that is inches deep or frozen over.

 

[ronmexico]

Good thread.
I wish there was a way i could take a screen shot of the MKP on google earth and have you show us all the easy way snot.

Are all those bowls in Harvey really bad for avy danger? From Google earth it looks as though the basin is wide enough that an avy might not reach the middle of it, making it a safe place for the group to park while climbing (This is a big guess) However MKP is just shear mountain face to trench at the bottom of the trail.

 

[shawnmcgr]

On you drop on the BC side take Outpost trail half way down to left looking west you will see a small orange marker .......creeks are snow bridged by late DEC....and it will take you to a FlatHead crossing that is inches deep or frozen over.

Thanks snotrocket, I'll try that in Jan if we ride out of Castle!

 

[InnOnTheBorder]

Good thread.
I wish there was a way i could take a screen shot of the MKP on google earth and have you show us all the easy way snot.

Are all those bowls in Harvey really bad for avy danger? From Google earth it looks as though the basin is wide enough that an avy might not reach the middle of it, making it a safe place for the group to park while climbing (This is a big guess) However MKP is just shear mountain face to trench at the bottom of the trail.

There is definently a risk.. over the years, we have lost a few sledders. Elliot lake has a bad spot! It's located above Barnes on the east side of limestone ridge

 

[iceman]

Funny nobody said anything about the avalanche risk on the east side of Middle Kootenay. Three deaths that I have known of. That was on the little hill above the oil rig site. Doesn't look like much, but its a bad one.

I have had to turn around quite a few times, because of the conditions. Rode lots of times over avalanches that have come down.

 

[cat girl]

I have always found it very creepy when riding over a fairly fresh slide area to get to where we are heading.

 

[foothills m8]

Iceman do you mean were the big area is about 10k from start.There is a yellow sign on tree that u can hardley read or see.U go throu the trees on a up hill climb to were a small wooden gate is when not covered over with snow.U can allso go throu the block there and go throu tree`s and meet up with other trail ,oh ya that yellow sign does say avie danger on it ? i better double check my pic.

 

[iceman]

that's the place . alot of people play on that even with kids . Its bad because the west wind piles all the snow on it. The other trail was made to go around the worst spot

 

[JoHNI_T]

that's the place . alot of people play on that even with kids . Its bad because the west wind piles all the snow on it. The other trail was made to go around the worst spot

it builds from up top of that hill u see on trail, so the first slide up higher brings the rest to that ridge and moves a lot of snow, I dont play there lots of other goodies,,

 

[foothills m8]

Ya why is that steel snow fence post inn the ground right at the start of the block it was there last year was a bit of a hazzard.A real good track wrecker.

 

[Modman]

Good thread.

...... From Google earth it looks as though the basin is wide enough that an avy might not reach the middle of it, making it a safe place for the group to park while climbing (This is a big guess) However MKP is just shear mountain face to trench at the bottom of the trail.

if there is a threat of avy risk, probably not a good idea to be climbing a slope that has a moderate to high potential to slide, regardless of where you park at the bottom where the run out may not get you. I know that is not what you meant and the fact that you are thinking safely with where the group can park is awesome but seriously, I have known 2 guys that have died sledding and it is so very tragic. Never underestimate the power of an avalanche and its ability to take a life.

RIP Kevin Langille, January 10, 1998.

 

[ronmexico]

Thanks for the reply Modman. Sorry to hear about your pal. Thats tragic.

Unfortunately we are all hooked on a dangerous sport where risk is ALWAYS involved. I think it comes down to how individuals (groups) manage that risk. I like to think me and my group are on the more conservative side (chickens when it comes to serious Avy country) and hence all the questions im asking are for education and knowledge to make a decision. Hopefully by all these questions and posts others have learned more also about the ride area and the risk involved.

The only 100% guarantee i know of against avalanche fatality is to not ride at all in elevated areas (mountains)

 

[Modman]

Thanks for the reply Modman. Sorry to hear about your pal. Thats tragic.

Unfortunately we are all hooked on a dangerous sport where risk is ALWAYS involved. I think it comes down to how individuals (groups) manage that risk. I like to think me and my group are on the more conservative side (chickens when it comes to serious Avy country) and hence all the questions im asking are for education and knowledge to make a decision. Hopefully by all these questions and posts others have learned more also about the ride area and the risk involved.

The only 100% guarantee i know of against avalanche fatality is to not ride at all in elevated areas (mountains)

No worries man, not trying to bag on anyone. Understandably there is risk, there is no 100% guarantee in anything. I just want to remind people to think about it for more than a second, the extra moment that it takes could be the difference in how calculated the risk is.