Jeff Schmerker
Wow
Three hours up the Joffre Lake Basin the skies cleared and a weak sort of sunlight fell down. This gave edge to the horizon and a kick to my step. A faint trail led through a valley of boulders and past the steep slopes of Joffre Peak. I had met some skiers earlier who pointed at a spot on the map and said to head there -- the view would be worth it, and the skiing would probably be pretty good, too. Above treeline the slope steepened and I stopped to snack and put on ski crampons. This break really came 15 minutes too soon, since in that amount of time I was atop the pass and taking in the view before me.
The spectacular Twin One Glacier spilled in two tongues around cliffs and off the summit of the south face of Joffre Peak. The winds here were rough but a rock ledge offered some respite. I snacked again, took a few more pictures, and kicked off, back down toward Cayuse Pass.
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