Just Hiking in the Snow

Not something we normally expect to have to do in mid-September, but when a friend of mine from Vernon booked space at the Asulkan Hut (about 1 km higher than Roger's Pass), we decided to join him and his small group for a couple of days.

The hike in on Friday was mostly in showers which turned into snow higher up. The hike and climb to the hut (6.5 km and 1200 m elevation gain) was done in 3 hours and by later in the afternoon we had a full-blown blizzard happening outside. Fortunately, the hut had a propane heater and stoves so we managed to be quite cozy inside. This kept up all night and we only had an hour or so in the morning when we could see the scenery, including a spectacular view all the way down to Roger's Pass, over 1 km below us.

Catherine and I had only planned to stay one night so we left later in the morning. The descent was through snowdrifts and along a snow covered crest of a moraine, so the travel was very slow and careful. As we descended, the snow turned to rain which remained constant all the way to the parking lot. Beer and burgers in Revelstoke were our reward. Then a 3-hour drive along the scenic north shore of Trout Lake back home, enjoying the beginnings of fall colors.