February 8, 2022 - Stats: 10.75 km / 571m gain / 1765m high / 3:30 hrs MT
This route at Manning Park downhill ski resort, has Gary Baker's signature on it. He created it over a decade ago. This past year more restrictions have been made for snowshoers at the ski resorts, probably due to Covid getting more people into the great outdoors. Now we have to get tickets to use the snowshoe trails.
A grunt up the ski run for .75 km and then turned northwest into the forest. A small strong group from the COC club had been there a few days prior and broke the trail.
We trudged through three of the Gibsons Meadows.
Had to watch out for some of those snowy boughs bending so close to our heads.
The first meadow.
The second meadow.
At the third meadow we turned north, climbing up towards the summer FSR.
Once on the FSR, the trail made a gradual 10 minute decline to Poland Lake.
At Poland Lake. We now had to cross to the other end where there's a hut, campsite & even an outhouse!
As we were crossing here, we heard a fairly loud avalanche. Probably it came from the steep slopes of nearby Bojo Mt.
I didn't expect the outhouse to be accessible.
Someone carved these steep ice steps into it. The seat was rather frosty but otherwise it was a welcome bit of privacy for an essential pit stop.
Ahhh. Lunch time! This hut was also accessable but who wants to sit inside when outside is so appealing?
The traditional group shot on the roof of the shelter. Ten seconds was not enough time for me to climb up there before my camera snapped a shot. At least Cal warned me this time to cover my head. Right after this pic he dumped a stream of snow on it.
Heading back.
We made quick work of descending to the meadows.
Cal got a few of us to do a few detours here and there. I'm game, as I'm always on the lookout for photo ops.
Oops. Fred got his foot wet in a creek.
When Cal told our group not to follow Fred because look where it gets you, Fred promptly pushed him over, claiming it was Cal who was the culprit.
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