Matt Ruta 
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Whoops, this draft has been sitting around collecting dust for nearly an entire year. (I’ll backdate it so anyone referring to it for beta doesn’t get confused by the time of year we skied the line.) It was a wonderful day skiing a route you won’t find much information about, so I think it’s still worth publishing. For various reasons, spring 2023 didn’t line up all that well for me. I spent… Read More
Six or seven years ago, Trevor mentioned that someone should really go see if it was possible to ski the west face of Glacier Peak, high above lake Oesa, right from its 3283m summit. I’ve had it in the back of my mind ever since. So, when May long weekend delivered a cold, sunny weather window I decided it might be a good way to get off the beaten path a little…. Read More
After getting a decent warmup on the north face of Peyto Peak the week prior, it felt like spring might be on. Christian and I decided we’d better go find out. Since the highway between Golden and Lake Louise is closed during prime ski mountaineering season this year (and last year, and next year; ugh) we agreed on Hwy 93 south as a meeting spot. Christian is Canmore based for now so… Read More
A few people have asked me about my method for chasing weather windows in the mountains. I guess they figured that they’d receive a quick answer, but each time I ended up replying with either a novel or a TED talk. Depending on whether they’d been foolish enough to ask in person. Since it’s on my mind, I thought maybe I’d better just write something down. Forecasting complex weather systems in the… Read More
Some things don’t go as planned. Such was the case in early December when a friend and I were approaching Mt. Chephren’s N face, eyes set on the Kum Ba Jah Couloir. Our eyes were so set, in fact, that we neglected to realize how thin our margin of safety had become as we approached the line. Spurred on by better than anticipated stability, we rationalized that, despite sloughing on other aspects… Read More
Well into the second half of August and still no precipitation to speak of, so time for another corn ski. And a good, solid bushwhack to keep me honest.
It’s been a stellar week for skiing. On Monday, a great linkup of Haddo Peak and Mt. Aberdeen. Then a down day midweek on the Clamshell in Golden (this time without the whiteout) and finally, on Friday, a chance at redemption on Mt. Victoria’s wild north face after bailing earlier this year. With our recent failure still fairly fresh in our minds, Ian and I decided to pad our chances this time… Read More
They say that everything is good for you in moderation, and few ski lines I’ve been on embody that sentiment better than the linkup of Haddo Peak and Mt. Aberdeen that Ian, Andrew and I skied on Victoria Day. On the way up, a little bit of steep snow, some exposed spots, and a fun scramble. On the way down, everything from cold powder, to ice, to five star corn. Plus stellar… Read More
So far, the theme of this season seems to have been roadside classics. With good weather lasting hours rather than days lately, my motivation for mega missions and overnights has been low. It’s easier to time quick windows on the metaphorical low hanging fruit, and there’s a far higher chance of success when the lines are visible from the parking lot. With that in mind, Jason and I saw the first solid overnight… Read More
Finally, another exploratory mission. On the 28th, a spring temperature cycle was a little more locked in, but the weather remaining unsettled. It looked like a good time to check out a line I’ve been staring at from the highway near Field for years: the north facing couloir on Mt. Dennis.
Matt Ruta 