A Bluebird Rogers Pass Tour: Youngs Peak
DATEs HIKED: 2/18/24
TOTAL MILEAGE: 14 MILES
TOTAL ELEVATION GAIN: 5,300’
In mid-February Alex and I went on a dream ski trip with a great group of friends. We embarked on the famous Canadian Powder Highway, driving some 1,500 miles through beautiful British Columbia and skiing at some of the best resorts the province and the country have to offer. The route also took us straight through Rogers Pass, a backcountry ski mecca in its own right. We had three days booked in the Revelstoke/Rogers Pass area and hoped that one of the days would allow for a bigger objective in the Rogers Pass backcountry. We got lucky and on our final day in the area the forecast was calling for clear skies, calm conditions, and a mostly favorable avalanche forecast. We were going on a tour!
When we were in the research process for the trip, one tour kept popping up again and again, Video Peak. It looked like it offered unreal views in addition to some grade A skiing. Unfortunately, it was also completely south facing and one of the avalanche warnings was for slides on solar aspects. It was going to be the first sunny day and warmup in awhile and those south facing slopes were worrisome. So we pocketed that tour and looked for alternatives. Sander and I were simultaneously searching for a tour, him poring over Google Earth and a guidebook and me scouring Caltopo. At nearly the same time we both zeroed in on the same area: the Asulkan Valley and Youngs Peak. Youngs Peak is north-facing, which meant that most of our descent would be in the shadows in the morning, keeping the route protected from the sun. It was a big day (5,300’), and its vantage point would give us some stellar views, it seemed like exactly what we were looking for.
It was settled. We were going to attempt Youngs Peak via the Asulkan Valley and the Asulkan Hut.
The next morning dawned clear. For the first time in days we looked up and could see stars. It was a promising start. The day grew even more promising as we made the 45 minute drive from Revelstoke to Rogers Pass and watched the sunrise light up the tips of the mountains lining both sides of the highway. This stretch of road truly is one of the prettiest drives I’ve ever experienced.
We arrived to the Visitor Centre just as it opened and quickly obtained our national park passes and were informed that the area we would be touring—the Asulkan Valley—did not require a backcountry winter permit. The permitting system at Rogers Pass is seriously confusing, but for good reason. It is one of the most avalanche-prone passes in the world and mitigating avalanches along one of Canada’s major highways is understandably complicated. If you’re thinking of touring in Rogers Pass, I highly recommend reading this post by Parks Canada to learn more about winter restricted/prohibited zones and backcountry travel in the area.
Passes in hand we headed to the trailhead at the Illecillewaet Campground and began gearing up with all the other skiers in the lot. It was looking like it would be a busy day in the backcountry! The trailhead also served the the Youngs Traverse, considered one of the classic ski tours of Rogers Pass and the Seven Steps of Paradise which is one of the Classic 50 Descents of North America. But the traverse is longer, requires more glacier travel, and from research seemed to have a few more cruxes than just simply accessing Youngs Peak from the Asulkan Hut. This out-and-back version of the route from the hut seemed more straightforward so ultimately it was the route we went with.
At just before 8AM, Alex, Sander, and I hit the trail. It was frigid. Still in the shadowy depths of the valley we wore extra layers and ignored the old adage of “be bold, start cold.”
The first stretch of trail was flat and offered peekaboo views of the massive peaks around us. Only a few minutes into the tour and it was apparent that a Rogers Pass tour is not like other tours.
We leap-frogged with another group a few times before they split off and headed toward the Illecillewaet Glacier as they planned to complete the entire Youngs Traverse. From the split, the trail followed the bubbling and undulating Asulkan Brook through the forest. After about an hour on the trail, Alex was navigating one of the many undulations next to the brook when his pole fell into a hole and he catapulted forward onto the snow. Already tired from four days in a row on skis and doing the majority of the driving, the fall was the final straw for him and he returned to the trailhead while Sander and I continued on. I was immensely bummed that Alex couldn’t join us, but it is also so important to be in the right headspace when doing anything in the mountains. We had cell service for most of the route (a perk of doing a tour that leaves right from a trans-continental highway), so we were able to keep in close contact with him.
After a few miles of a gradual and leisurely trail we began the steep ~2,000’ ascent to the Asulkan Hut. By this point any other groups on the trail had spread out and it was just Sander and I. We each further fell into our own paces, his slightly faster than mine, so I was alone in my thoughts as we switch backed and kick-turned up through the trees. Despite the heavy physical exertion, in the shadows of the forest I was cold and was still wearing my mid-layer and hard shell. Looks like I hadn’t needed to worry about being bold and starting cold at all!
Just as we broke out of the densest stand of trees, I saw the angular shape of something manmade in the wilderness. It was the hut’s roof, jutting just above the rolling white knolls ahead of Sander.
Five minutes later and we were on the steps of the Asulkan Hut. From the trailhead, it took us just over three hours. We decided it was the perfect stop for lunch.
We peered into the hut, it was much more roomier than I expected. It’s two stories with an ample kitchen and community space below and bunks up above. The hut is incredibly popular (for good reason) and fills up fast. We talked to a group that was spending two nights up there and they said they booked their stay in August the moment the reservations became available. They just happened to hit the jackpot and got perfect conditions during their stay.
After a 15 minute break we began the final leg: a 2,000’ push from the hut to the summit of Youngs Peak. We could see most of the route from our vantage point. High above us, on the still shaded upper slopes of Youngs Peak, there was a group of six making their way up the final switchbacks. They looked so far away, yet also seemed close. I hoped it wouldn’t take us too long to follow in their ski tracks.
While we still had quite a bit of trail ahead of us, the views along this portion were a welcome distraction and I couldn’t help but stop often to take photos and videos. Mount Sir Donald stood to our north and demanded my attention every time I caught its steep relief and jagged summit in my peripheral.
Finally, we found ourselves at the bottom of the eight switchbacks that would take us to the top. We took a quick break before the final push. I drank water and ate frozen-solid gummies as the group of six began their descent. Once again, I thought to my future, we were about one hour behind them. Soon it would be our turn!
Eight switchbacks and one half hour later and we were on the summit (just under six hours total from the car). We summited at the exact same time as the group who split off in the forest to complete the entire traverse. It felt like a party on the summit, very reminiscent of big spring ski tours despite being only February.
The views from the summit were phenomenal, the Illecillewaet Glacier is massive, one of the prettiest glaciers I’ve seen and it sprawled for what seemed like miles. I tried to take it all in, to be fully present and appreciate the views because it’s likely the only time I’ll see it in my lifetime.
After another snack and some more photos we transitioned to downhill mode, giddy to finally get to ski. The first few turns down Youngs Peak were a little rough. The snow was sun and wind-affected chopped up crud from a few previous groups’ turns, but about 500’ below the summit the snow transformed to a perfect 6” of powder. Sander and I made our way down, not believing our luck with the snow conditions or views. Suddenly, the challenge of the big ascent on already-tired legs was completely forgotten. We whooped with glee all the way down to the Asulkan Hut.
From the hut we picked our way down to the valley floor, choosing to avoid the steep treed slopes we ascended and heading to some open bowls and slopes instead. Since so little sun reaches the lower slopes this time of year, the snow was still powdery even well into the afternoon. In fact, the snow never turned gloopy. A huge perk of a winter tour on a north-facing aspect.
Eventually, we made it back to the valley floor and linked back up with the ascent path, which had transformed into a nice luge through the forest. The trail was so undulating that we needed to do a fair share of poling and sidestepping, but 7.5 hours after we set out, we were back at the trailhead. Alex was there to welcome us with snacks and a warm car. We changed, packed up, and were on the road to the next stop of the trip: Kicking Horse.
*****
Now, nearly two weeks later, I’m still in shock over how lucky we got on this leg of the trip. As I reflect on it more, I think it will go down as one of the most beautiful ski tours (yet) I’ve ever been on and some of the best snow I’ve skied in the backcountry (yet). This may have been our first trip to Rogers Pass, but it will definitely not be our last. Because of course, we still need to ski Video Peak!