Night 5, Frederika Creek cabin!

 

All these places I wanted to check out—and here we are! 

 

This cabin, another resting point on the old McCarthy to Chisana trail a century ago, caught my eye two years ago as we skied past. Today, we put it in our sights and made it here. This cabin has much snow in it too, like Solo Mtn. Here, it pours through the window like a waterfall.  

    

So, we're tenting, after a nice pull from the Hobbit Forest. Michael's watch alarm went off early, and we were on the trail at 7 a.m., even before sunrise—unheard of! We aced Skolai Pass, thanks to a ton of snow that covered the piles of rock you usually walk over in ski boots all day.

The snow allowed us to ski with skins the entire way. Forest and Michael picked a great route through the pass. "I was following the wolves," Forest said. We saw tracks the whole way, as a wolf pack traversed the opposite way, maybe when we were sleeping last night.   

  

We paused high on Castle Mountain and looked out at where Russell Glacier crashes into rock and turns northward, making Skolai Pass.  

On our descent from a mile high on the slope of Castle Mountain, I dug my ski tips in soft snow, fell on my pole, and broke it in half! Forest and Michael did a temp. repair with part of Forest's spare pole handle and a few hose clamps. I just reinforced it here in the cabin by pounding a carved willow stick inside the broken metal tube. Good to go. 

Tough day for me. Big blister on my left instep, which is used to set the edge of the most important ski when skiing south-facing slopes. Ouch!

But the boys pulled me through, by fixing my pole while I snacked and by waiting for me with much patience. They are sleeping in tents outside now. Now to get to sleep so I can keep up with them tomorrow!