Mt. Hector, Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada

Yowza!  Canada is totally awesome!  This trip to "the Great White North" was my 3rd trip north in the last 4 springs.  (2009, 2011,  2012)  It is indeed white and great north of the 49th parallel.  Alex and I hemmed and hawed, planned and re-planned, packed and re-packed, drove and drove some more, and arrived on the Icefields Parkway for the tail end of a sweet sunny spell.  We grabbed just enough info to cruise mega-classic Mt. Hector on the 9th of April.

Approaching.  Tracks would be the theme of the day. Seems that every skier's destination outside of the High Sierra has about 10 times as many backcountry skiers as we do here.  This particular Monday in remote Canada 17 people climbed and descended this 5000 foot itinerary.

Climbing more.  Canada has more skiers and more avalanches. Skier tracks and avalanche tracks.  But sweet powder snow, even in Mid April.

Alex nearing the summit of Hector, with Hector Lake and the Icefields Parkway way below.

We did the optional scramble to the summit.

... And then ripped 5000 meters of fast pow.

Fricken Glaciers!