The notes below were posted prior to the trip. Due primarily to the weather and flying issues in the paragraph in italics we ended up setting camp in a well forested area at the lower end of Butters Lake. This is a location which Alpine Helicopter can reach in almost any weather, and also proved to be very suitable for the variety of conditions we had - a heat wave with the associated avalanche cycle, rain (twice at 6500' - both overnight), and winds. The camp was well sheltered from all of this. We skied the side of the glacier above the head of Butters Lake, climbed into the bowl above and to the right twice, and skied down into Butters Creek below Schooner Ridge and followed that up the near its head where the uptrack to Battle Abbey hut begins.

I've labeled the trip as "Purity Range" but the basecamp location will be south of that, and west of Grand Mountain. (SW of Wheeler Peak, probably NW of Sugarloaf.) This is an area which is a bit of an indentation in the boundary line for Glacier National Park. We will be outside the park in order to use helicopter access, although some ski tours may cross into the park. The park borders the area I am looking at on the N, W, and E sides.

To the south is the Battle Range, across Battle Brook. Like most drainages in the Selkirks, Battle Brook is deeply cut and crossing it to the south is no small task. Thus we will be distinctly separated from the Battle Range by this feature. Further south in the Battle Range is the Battle Abbey hut, which is made available for use by groups with a fully certified IFMGA guide along. It is not used for heli-skiing, but as a base for touring. It is very popular for its terrain, which is much like the terrain in the area of our camp.

Most of this area is open alpine terrain. The only trees are at the upper reaches of Battle Brook and its tributaries. It may be possible to set up camp in one of the highest treed areas, but it may or may not be the best option. So there may or may not be treed skiing right around camp. There should be some that is safely accessible for poor visibility days. A few options will be identified for base camp and we will ultimately choose one based on current and forecast weather, flying concerns, and a final reconnaissance on the first flight in.

One concern with this high alpine terrain is that it requires good weather for flying. There is probably a higher chance here than in other areas for a flight delay, in or out. Usually in April poor visibility does not persist for too many days at once, but as always there is no guarantee. Be sure it won't create problems for you if we fly in or out a day or two late should the weather require it.

There is a variety of skiing and mountaineering terrain. There are plenty of steeper open slopes, with and without glaciers. It may be possible to find some treed areas in the upper reaches of Battle Brook and its tributaries. The area is surrounded by spectacular peaks and as long as weather permits the best options will be to climb to (and perhaps through) various cols between these peaks. For mountaineers a few ascents are possible. There appears to be a large glacier of moderate slope angle heading off to the west, and the Purity Range has been approached from that direction by climbers at least once. Routes in general will be largely exploratory and require a certain amount of routefinding as well as some avalanche awareness.

To the east, past Grand Mountain, is the Deville Neve. That can be followed to the Glacier Basin cabin within the park, then a tour across the Illecillewaet Neve to Rogers Pass. This is a traverse of several days and not to be taken lightly. Dropping into Glacier Basin requires some technical rope work along with potential avalanche exposure. Anyone interested is welcome to make plans for this, but there will still be helicopter seats for you on the way out lest you change your mind or have a poor weather and/or snow stability outlook. You will not save any money by skiing out on this classic traverse - so don't plan to do it for that reason. Do it for the right reasons, if you choose to do it at all. It is mentioned here as a possibility, and it's a classic ski mountaineering tour.

Map: Mount Wheeler 82 N/3

There is also a large scale map of Glacier National Park which includes this area since the park boundaries surround it. However, some park maps will not include this since it is on the far southern end of the boundary and infrequently visited. The Rogers Pass ski touring map does not extend this far south, or at least the one I have does not.

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