Bang, bang, bang! The sound of ski boots gently persuading doors open and closed at Fairy Meadow foretold the overnight snow volume before we even looked out the window. The hut and sauna were wavering under the weight of three days worth of steady snow. Even the flooring was showing signs of distress under mother nature’s load. This was my third pilgrimage to Bill Putnam’s paradise. Our team of 20 roamed far and wide around this alpine playground, but a few key objectives were left unchecked. Prior to the snow assault, we’d had three cold, clear, dry days which inspired exploration of the Houdini area. Some of us ascended the Friendship Col, and a smaller subset even summited Pioneer Peak and looped back to the hut via Pioneer Pass. This was the last bit of sun we saw for the next few days while we were bombarded with snow, which despite being on the heavy side still skied quite well. Some took rest, lapping only the sauna, bunks, and bookshelf during the snow assault while others earned 1500m+ days. The heavens eventually opened and our fly-out went exactly as planned, treating us to views of the massive avalanches we’d heard ripping to valley bottom the prior days. Conditions were surpassed only by the camaraderie of our tight knit group outdoing each other with chores, grand meals, and collaborating on where to ski next. I’ll be back to tick off the objectives that didn’t quite line up this time.
Photo credits: N. Zerwes, K. Morrison, D. McLachlan, R. Shute, J. Stastny, N. Gauvreau.
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