D5 *Easter* Winter Snowshoe Scramble -- Read's Tower

Should we give it a 3rd attempt, maybe this time we will get to the parking lot.

This is a D5 Snowshoe- Scramble. I plan on doing the Tower.

Difficulty level: (see our difficulty ratings chart if you aren't sure: RATINGS CHART (http://files.meetup.com/1575023/Difficulty%20Ratings.pdf))

The pace will be slow-moderate.

We start out in the tree's, there might be a trail or we will be route finding. Once we break out of the tree's we will be following a ridge.The end of the ridge is Read's Tower. If conditions are favorable we will attempt the Tower. Because of the unknown nature of snow on steep terrain, we will be monitoring AVI conditions as we go. If at any point the conditions are deemed unsafe we will turn around.

RISKS: Snow and ice, cold temperatures, possible exposure, rockfall. potential AVI conditions.

Elevation gain: 650 M to the high point of Ridge, 920 M to top of Tower.

Time on trail: 4 to 7 hours

Distance: 4 km for Ridge, 5.5 km to Tower, both Return

Required Equipment:

Mountaineering type snowshoes. Must work on steep snow. Winter Hiking boots Dress for Winter it will be cold, No cotton. Hiking poles Headlamp (just in case!) Water Food Microspikes or Crampons. For the attempt on Read's Tower we will need an Ice Axe. Recommended : Camera, personal first aid,

Driving and Directions: Take the Trans-Canada to Canmore. Drive through downtown, and when you get to the end of the main street (8 Street), turn left. Follow that up and around until you reach the right turn onto Spray Lakes Road (which turns into Highway 742/Smith Dorrien Spray Trail). Continue for about 24.5 km and turn into the Sparrowhawk day use area. Click here to see a driving map. (http://maps.google.ca/maps?saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=51.13019,-114.22491+to:51.08745,-115.34687+to:Unknown+road&hl=en&ll=51.012027,-114.851074&spn=0.991897,1.84845&sll=51.103306,-114.158592&sspn=0.015468,0.028882&geocode=FVvMCwMdlg0y-Q%3BFU4vDAMd8hAx-SndNm7MEWlxUzHSVN8K4WM34g%3BFVqICwMdSvIf-SnfreBmvsVwUzHTqrUiuEIwmQ%3BFYRCCQMdyGQg-Q&mra=dme&mrsp=0&sz=15&via=1,2&t=h&z=9)

Costs: Members are free. Non-member fee is $5.

Transport: CORA trips start at the trail head. We meet at the meeting point in Calgary to make organizing trips easier and help ensure we know who's showing up. Please be on time. We can arrange carpooling at the meetup.You may choose to meet us at the trail head, but please advise us ahead of time.

TRIP WAIVER AND CONDITIONS: You must sign a trip waiver to attend this event. The trip waiver can be found here (http://files.meetup.com/1575023/TRIP%20WAIVER-June2012.pdf). Please read the document before we depart. To participate you must have paid your yearly membership fee is $20 which lasts until the Annual General Meeting. If you have a 2012 membership, it will continue to be accepted until our AGM in February/March 2013. However, 2013 memberships, which last until the 2014 AGM, are now available to be purchased. Alternately, you may participate as a non-member for $5 for the day.

Code of Conduct

By attending this trip you agree to be bound by the CORA Rules of Conduct (https://www.meetup.com/Calgary-Outdoor-Recreation-Association-CORA/pages/Rules_of_Conduct/).