Team whips up frosty snow shakes before descent

Dispatch from Bill Gunderson — July 29, 1997

A day for thought, reflection, a new beginning.

We broke camp at 9 a.m. and split our separate ways. I went down the valley floor to look for garnets and scout the geology of the area, while the rest of the group went on to the Sir Sandford glacier to learn ice climbing.

The geology of the area is varied and interesting. Apparently there are garnets around the glacier, as I found a lot of small ones but not many big ones. They are red and form an interesting crystal shape; the color makes them stand out from the other rocks.

Many rocks in the area are a fragile marble that splits easily. A hard granite and an extremely low-grade iron ore also mix together to create myriad colors among the rock debris below the glacier.

When we got to the hut, Bill Putnam was there to finish the new outhouse. Bill is one of North America's pioneering mountaineers and also a great guy. He's doing a great job on the privy. It is a massive stone affair with an aluminum roof.

Some other mountaineers were there to climb on the Silver Tip glacier and to help renovate the hut. The team helped by making a cairn trail to the valley floor. The start is marked by a big cairn on a field of heather. It is picturesque with a mountain behind and the glacier in the foreground.

After making the trail, Morgan, Dan, and I went to a group of warm pools in the middle of the valley floor to swim. The bottom was so slippery we couldn't stand up. So after we got out, we showered and sauntered our way back to camp in time to make cocoa and ice milkshakes. They tasted great to my parched sweet tooth. Here's how to make them:

Start with cocoa, powdered milk, and light snow. Mix together until soft. They are very good.