croix de l'écuelle

We couldn't resist the sunshine for another skimo outing. Today we headed for Croix de l'Écuelle. A lower summit at 1815m, but with lovely views. We paused on the ascent to practice avalanche rescue in the shelter of the trees, before continuing up the windy exposed slope.  

 

The wind grew really strong and we battled against it to make the summit. Suddenly we saw the point, and quickly ducked down the other side, which offered more protection. 

The snow wasn't as soft as we hope for the descent, changing often between icy wind-pack and sticky sludge lower down, with a few nice patches in the trees.

We stopped by a few chalets not too far above the parking, to sit in the sun. We watched a long crack develop in the snow on one of the roofs, and widen. Of course we waited for it to slide before we could continue on our way.

crozet afternoon

After yesterday's longer trek, we still wanted to enjoy the snow without driving much, and have some time to relax too. We made the climb under the telecabine, but made a few detours off into the woods on the way up. It's great that Crozet is so close, and the snow has fallen down to our elevation.

tête de bostan (2406m)

With clear sunny skies, Derek and I decided on Tête de Bostan as our challenge for the day: 17km with 1250M+ when we finished (we parked further down the river along the xc track than the normal route). After our typical few wrong turns, we were on the right tack and moving up.  

I was roasting in the sun...and it's only the beginning of February.

After a steady climb, a teasing false summit, and some amazing views, we reached Derek's first skimo summit -  Tête de Bostan (2406m). What a view from up here! 

We enjoyed our time at the top, and then, back down the way we came up. The bit of spine made me a little nervous, but it was fine.

Gulp:

Windblown at the top gave way to soft fresh powder, and some smooth turns in the sunshine before we dropped into the gathering sea of cloud below.

rocher de la mottaz (1657m)

Laura and I headed to Rocher de la Mottaz. We planned to make Pointe de la Gay, but after a few wrong turns driving, and a late start, we settled on finishing a little lower. After the treasure hunt to find our starting point, we began skinning into a thickening fog. We noted the avalanche activity on adjacent slopes, but we were well away from any troubling area. We skinned past frosted trees, and a few iced cabins, on our way to reaching the wind blasted stature at the top. 

We couldn't see more than a step in front of us, and finished our ascent with short struggle in our boots and the sudden welcome at the summit. This low peak is suppose to have an amazing view, so I guess we'll have to come back for that another day. We didn't linger at the top, and floated down a perfect stretch of fresh powder to end our outing.

jura skiing in the trees

The snow continued overnight, the biggest fall of the season so far. We waited and waited, and now there is almost too much. The sudden snow depth has raised the avalanche risk, and the coming days will be dangerous in the mountains until it settles, so we continue to be patient and weigh our options. With the chains on the wheels, we were able to drive to the Jura. We broke trail up to the high cow pastures, gradual at first, but then zig-zagging steeper. We had a great climb in the Jura, making tracks in the untouched snow, and weaving our way back down through the trees.