Cold Smoke (at) POW

The day was January 12th, and it was -20 at tree line. Two brave souls set out in search of beautiful winter vistas and ‘champaign’ powder. Who are we kidding this is the island! In all fairness it was a cool and crisp blue bird day in the POW (Prince of Wales) range. We summited Mt McCreighty on our first visit to the area this season. We were able to park near the highway with our current conveniently low snow line. We set off on sleds from there until thin coverage in cut blocks forced us to use our frozen feet. Skinning through the dense trees at McCreight is always an adventure but the soft snow made it pleasant. On the summit we noted evidence of strong winds blowing our recent storm snow from different directions. Ski quality was fluffy and light. Our packs were heavier than normal with lots of warm layers and tea. Staying in the sheltered sunny areas was our day saver. If it didn’t already feel like winter on the island, it sure does now!