Summit Elevation (m): 2332
Elevation Gain (m): 650
Trip Date: Mar 9 2013
Round Trip Time (hr): 7
Total Trip Distance (km): 10
Quick ‘n Dirty Rating: Class 2/3 – you fall, you sprain or break something
Difficulty Notes: Not difficult but in the winter there are avalanche concerns so be aware of this.
Technical Rating: OT4; YDS (Hiking)
GPS Track: Gaiai
Map: Google Maps
Mount Fortune is one of those peaks that’s best saved for a day when you really don’t have many other choices. On Saturday, March 2 2013 we made our first attempt at this little peak. Due to rain / snow the night before, the snow pack was completely bottomless and saturated with water. The clouds were low and getting lower and our mood as we crossed the lake was following that same trajectory – lower and lower!
We finally decided to turn around about an hour into the trip and drove home. At the very least we figured out the confusing maze of xcountry ski trails necessary to easily get to the lake without too much bushwhacking;
- Start as Nugara says.
- When you turn right and go up the first hill, take the leftmost track which descends past a “steep hill” sign. You should be going the same direction as traffic on the way in.
- Follow this track for a while until you can spot the opening of the lake to your right, through the trees. You should be bushwhacking less than 1-2 minutes at MOST before you come out at the lake.
On Saturday, March 9 we were back for effort #2. Why weren’t we skiing? Why bother at all? Avalanche risk ratings were at ‘considerable’ for the alpine. I have a deal with my wife that until the kids are 18+ I don’t ski in ‘considerable’ ratings if I have a choice. And why bother snow shoeing? Kev Papke needed two more summits to complete his 50 and considering he’s raised over $150,000 for a good cause I think that made it worth it! This time around the parking lot was sunny and warm. We had Wietse and Bill along as Dave S couldn’t make it.
It was funny to see the disgusted look on Wietse’s face as he strapped into his brand new pair of snowshoes!! He’s a ski snob, as am I usually. If I can ski something I’m not EVER going to snowshoe it. Unless I’m REALLY desperate to get out. Thanks to our recon work the week previous, we found the lake very quickly and proceeded to cross it with no issues. I started feeling positive that this wouldn’t be the gong show of the week before but I was a bit premature in this thinking.
Once we traversed to the left on the road running past the east face of Fortune, we found an old track heading up through the trees. Home run right?! Well, not exactly. About 100 vertical meters up the slopes we lost the old ascent track. This was brutal. The next few hours were spent struggling through knee to waist deep snow (this is on snowshoes!), falling into the deadfall under the sugary, bottomless snowpack and trying desperately to somehow swim up slope! It was not fun. We had no choice though! Kev needed his 49th summit so we pressed very hard until finally popping up on the summit ridge.
We took off the ‘shoes and proceeded past some fairly aggressive sheep to the summit with awesome views of many familiar peaks all around – my favorite being Engadine and Buller from this angle. We briefly considered extended the trip to “Fortulent” but due to a late start we didn’t have time and Kev and I needed to get out the next day to complete his 50 summits anyway. The trip back was fast and pleasant – much better than the slog up!
Hey Vern, how do you think this ascent would be on skis the whole way?
Hey Peter, it would really depend on conditions. It could certainly be done!