slesse icefall

a few days ago my friend mike and i hiked up the slesse memorial trail to check out the granite cathedral at the top. 

the trail was in good repair, albeit slightly overgrown.  the last time kylie and i came this way there was no rail on the log, which made things a bit more exciting.

we made good time and it didnt take long to pop out of the trees and into the alpine.

i forgot how much niko loves the snow.

here is mike achieving our goal of reaching the propeller cairn.  witness him overcoming severe lactic acidosis.

slesse really is a stunning peak.  there are multiple climbing routes accessible from this approach.

looking the other direction was pretty stunning as well.  above are mt. rexford and the illusion peaks.

saluting the cairn.  in 1956 a plane crashed directly into the face of mt slesse and 62 people died.  there is a memorial halfway up the mountain, the propeller cairn at the foot of the peak and apparently a bone cairn nestled in the rock.

niko absolutely loves snow fields.  have you ever seen a dog smiling?  this is what a smiling dog looks like.  niko just couldnt wipe the grin from his face.

he's pretty casual around icefalls and crevasses, and i suppose cliffs in general.  i'm not sure if that is b/c he is surefooted, or b/c he has no idea of the consequences.

the pocket glacier at the base was still a good size and joined beautifully with the seasonal snow fields to form a spectacular icefall.  hanging out on icefalls always makes me feel like superman going to find himself.

after relaxing and playing on the snow for an hour or so, mike and i walked and slid our way back down to the creek and up to the truck.  a quick drive to town and home before zeke woke up from his nap.  what a great day.