Valley of the Birds 01/21/06

This is (L)Yellow Bird WI 4 30m and Snowbird M6+ 40m. We climbed the left, right and middle and I was close to trying Snowbird but felt burned out from climbing ice and fiddling around on the bottom of Snowbird that I decided it would be best tried another day. Murry lead which was a nice change and gave me the opertunity to try some stuff that wouldn't have on lead. Gained some more confidence on ice, I think that a WI 4 lead is in my near futere. This was my 3rd waterfall I'd climbed, I felt good and protection placement would be ok on lead I thought. It was a great day and the area is full of ice climbs, rock climbs and mixed climbs. It is a mecca!! I will be back.

AVALANCHE!!!!!!!!!

The top pictures are of the second avalanche it came from the same spot that the first one came down. The second one crossed Lake Louise, about 1 klm and we were enveloped in the snow cloud, the air movement, then we felt the power of an avalanche with a big push of air. Nothing to push you over but a good reminder of why you should respect the AVALANCHE. The pictures bellow are of the first avalanche a "little" smaller than the first. It didn't cross the lake but had you been cross country skiing you...... Well.... wouldn't have skied home. All but two tourists, a couple had left before the second avalanche and they followed us up the trail and had the same experience we had. They were covered in snow and shocked at the power of an avalanche(as we were). WOW this is something I will not soon forget.