A misty traverse

Tag : Ski Socks

In April, photographer Kari Medig and four friends set out for aweek-long trip north from the north end of Pitt Lake ...
I focused on the mountains as our car rolled through traffic on theMary Hill Bypass. The beauty of the Coast Mountains that risebehind the city mesmerized me as they always had, but now theyserved as a stable fixture to combat my queasy stomach as we racedto make our boat appointment at the south end of Pitt Lake.
Another red light and I stole a glance at the cars idling besideus, their drivers lost in thought. Kids to pick up. Work to do.Groceries to buy.
How many of these people had ever thought about what lay beyondtheir city?
These Coast Mountains captured my thoughts at many a red lightwhile working as a photographer in the Tri-Cities, Pitt Meadows andMaple Ridge, the peaks towering white above the houses, condos andstrip malls, and stretching in an endless string of ice-fields andmountains some 2,000 kilometres north to Alaska.

My friends Dave Quinn, Kelly Comishin, Becky Phillips, Carla Demyenand I were off to explore at least some of this terrain propelledonly by skis and loaded with tents and enough food and fuel to lasta week.
Our plan was to ski north from Pitt Lake to Whistler, about 100 kmaway.