Join me on a trip to the Marriot Basin with an overnight stay at the Wendy Thompson Memorial Hut. If all goes well, we should have a couple of hours of ski touring near the hut on the afternoon that we arrive, and a couple of hours to climb a ridge near the hut before departing the following day. Beginners are welcome, but participants must have (and know how to use) the standard safety gear (beacon, shovel and probe) and have a reasonably good level of fitness. There are some steep sections, so it is important that participants are reasonably good skiers (e.g., comfortable skiing black runs in poor conditions at a ski resort). Ideally, participants will have taken the BCMC Intro to Backcountry Skiing or the AST-1 course. There is a $12 cost for the hut.

March 31 e-mail sent to confirmed participants

Hi Everyone
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>    Thank you for signing up for the Marriot Basin ski trip that I am organizing for this coming Saturday/Sunday. The nice weather is forecasted to continue for awhile, so hopefully we have some nice spring conditions for our trip.
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> 1. Please confirm that you are coming by Wednesday noon. If I have not heard from you by then, I will give your spot to the next person on the wait list. Also let me know if you are able to drive (pavement the whole way), and whether you need a ride to St. David's on Saturday morning.
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> 2. The hut holds 14 (quite "cosy" when full). There will be a party of five or six (whom I know from work, etc.) that we will share the hut with.
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> 3. The hut is heated with a kerosene heater (you should expect a fairly cool night despite the heater, because the heater is only partially effective at keeping the hut warm). Our group will carry three liters of kerosene. I will ask for two volunteers to carry two of those liters when we meet at St. David's on Sunday morning.
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> 4. There are some pots, etc. at the hut, but it is probably best not to rely on this. Please let me know if you don't have a stove, etc. If you don't, I will help you find someone who does have a stove to partner with.
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> 5. I expect we will arrive at the hut between 2 and 3 pm (depends on how icy the bottom of the up-track is). We will drop off our packs, take a 30 minute rest and then ski some nearby ridges (nothing too strenuous) until about 7 pm. On Sunday morning and early afternoon, if the conditions are reasonable we will climb about 300 meters to a call, ski along a high alpine ridge and then ski back to the cabin. We will then pack our gear and head back for the cars.  I expect to back at the car no later than 5 pm, which should get us back to Vancouver by 8 pm.
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> 6. Please don't hesitate to contact me (phone or e-mail) if you have questions.
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> Jim Vercammen