Corn alert on Mt. Smuts

Good things take time, and this time I was patient enough to wait for the right time. Although there where glimpses of corn snow this year it was never perfect. There was either not enough melt or not enough freeze-or there was enough of both and not enough melt to soften the freeze, or it was limited to a narrow elevation band and/or the very right aspect-and then it snowed again. Today it was simply perfect and I hit my ultimate corn goal in K-Country for the season, the SE face of Mt. Smuts (picture below shows the face a couple weeks ago). If you ever wanted to ski this one, go do it NOW! Zero avalanche hazard, fast travel and secure skiing. Here is the time line which worked perfect today:

4:20 leave Canmore

5:15 leave car

8:00 Summit

8:10 start skiing from right hand summit

8:30 (optional) put skins back on and go for a second lap to peak lookers right, because it's too good to go home yet.

11:00 Cappuccino in Canmore

Since I was alone today I can only come up with some landscape shots I took on the summit, hope you still enjoy them. Below Mt. Birdwood and the NW face of Mt. Sir Douglas looming to the south, maybe one day a goal for some of Canmore's extreme skiers.
Looking in a NWerly direction, the mighty East Face of Mt. Assiniboine and Mt. Eon to the left.
Looking over Tent Ridge and Spray Lakes towards the best moderate corn snow objective close to Canmore, the south flank of Nestor.
Looking across the summit ridge towards the remote Royal Group. I skied straight down the right hand summit, since it is more easterly aspect and therefore corned up already.
1000m of perfect corn snow ahead, at least no challenging route finding on this one.Looking back towards the summit slope, you can see the barely penetrating footsteps bottom left. Crampons were very useful, if not essential, so was one ice axe for the way up.