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With boots and boats
The first crossing of the Kitimat Range
Most skiers would never think of packing a kayak for a ski trip, but that was exactly the point of an expedition crossing the Kitimat Range earlier this year.
After months of planning and preparation, a group of three northern adventurers set out on a trek that according to their research had never been attempted before: a 220-kilometre traverse linking Prince Rupert to Terrace through ocean, valleys, ridge tops and glaciers.
The trip was originally conceived a couple of years ago, when Nelson Rocha and Dean Wagner from Prince Rupert had just finished climbing Mt. Logan in the Yukon Territory. “We both had a taste of what it felt like to accomplish a goal,” explained Rocha. “With a freshly instilled craving for big, epic mountain adventures, we wanted to do something a little more familiar, something closer to home.”
The two-some recognized the benefit of adding one more experienced body to the team, and invited their friend Steve Ogle from Nelson to round out the group. The trio left Prince Rupert on the morning of March 31 in their kayaks, with enough provisions to get themselves into the mountains north of the Skeena River, where their skis had been dropped off by boat.
After three days of paddling alongside a humpback whale, dozens of seals and thousands of ocean-dwelling surf scoters, the paddlers-turned-hikers began a merciless two-and-a-half-day bush whack to reach the snowline. “We had underestimated the time it would take us to pick our way through the thick coastal brush,” said Rocha. “Having skis attached to our ridiculously heavy packs didn’t help.”
Even though they had carefully selected their gear and supplies, each person had to carry more than 100 pounds of food, fuel, clothing and equipment, including ice axe, avalanche shovel, transceiver, probe and first aid equipment. “I was barely able to lift the pack onto my back,” remembered Rocha, laughing.
It certainly didn’t make things any easier that, due to weight restrictions, they had opted to hike in their hard plastic ski boots. “It was painful at the moment. Sometimes it took us five minutes to get through 10 metres of thick alder and devil’s club brush…The constant worry of whether or not we would be able to reach our food cache before we ran out of supplies began to overshadow all physical adversities. It become the biggest hurdle of the entire trip,” said Rocha.
After a few more days of travel on snow-capped ridges and along headwaters of meandering valleys that feed such rivers as the Exchamsiks and the Exstew, the group finally reached the cache and treated themselves to a day of rest and gluttony.
“ My whole outlook on the rest of the trip changed,” Rocha remembered. “From that moment on, I felt confident and never once again doubted our ability. I was able to completely enjoy the dramatic peaks, the impressive rivers of ice and the feeling of remoteness.”
But the obstacles were far from over. As the sun heated up exposed rocks and set off slabs of snow and ice, the group heard and saw series of avalanches thundering down the mountainsides. “One day when we were tent bound, we heard slides every couple of minutes. As soon as there was a low rumbling, we’d race to the tent door to check it out,” Rocha recalled.
As the group trekked through the uncharted territory, they safely navigated with map and compass. They were equipped with GPS for whiteout conditions, and a satellite phone for emergencies.
Due to an unseasonably stable weather pattern, the group lost only two days of travel. Any more setbacks would have been dire, Rocha acknowledges. Despite all worries and obstacles, the biggest lesson learned, Rocha said, was to take things as they came. “I spent too much time worrying in the beginning. I learned that if things don’t happen, it’s not meant to be.”
On day five, during the tran-sition from kayaks to skis, Dean Wagner and Steve Ogle hiked up a ridge from the Khutzeymateen Valley with still 12 more challenging days to come before their adventure safely ended in Terrace.
On day seven, lucky with the weather, Dean Wagner boot packed a sketchy chute in the mountains north of the Skeena River. Colder weather would have made it impossible to hold an edge. Warmer temperatures would have triggered an avalanche. The mountain traverse started off with kayaking. In the Khutzeymateen Inlet, Dean Wagner was treated to calm, untouched waters, and a respite from a 100-pound backpack.
Rich in experience and muscles aching, the trio walked into Terrace seventeen days after they started, with thoughts already forming of new journeys to come, right in their backyard. “I have driven the highway from Prince Rupert to Terrace countless times, but now when I do, I look far up the valleys, north into the Kitimat Range and dream of other adventures that are waiting. It’s a feeling I get every time I travel into the mountains of this region.”
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