so here it goes...
just before new years i got a phone call reminding me of a cat/ touring trip i was invited to around nelson, BC which i had somehow cracked out and forgotten about. After scrambling for a couple days to get my shifts covered i was finally able to get my shit togethor enough to enjoy this opportunity. So after a loooonnng night of partying and with a gnarly 5:00 pm hangover on January 1 i took off down the long road towards nelson...
Day one we were invited to ski at a relatively new operation called Valhalla Powder Cats which is about 30 minutes outside of Nelson. The terrain here was like nothing i have ever seen or heard about at a cat skiing operation. Massive alpine runs and incredible burnt out tree coupled with deep snow and a private cat and the whole tenure to ourselves made the skiing a memorable experience. Tight ship and i reccommend any and all maggots to help support these guys.
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16866.jpg
in the tenure...
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16868.jpg
more tenured terrain
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16862.jpg
the trees in "The Burn"
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16861.jpg
BP ripping it up
Day Two - Kootenay Pass touring
With no concrete plan for the second day we decided to head up to kootenay pass and do some quick runs next to the highway. What proceeded next was one of the best days of touring i have ever had...sooo deep and no one around. Unfortunately it was one of those days here you didn't want to stop to take photos so there are no action shots.
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16870.jpg
touring up towards Ripple Ridge
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16859.jpg
Beauty Day
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16857.jpg
On top of baldy rocks about to ski lunch box back to the truck
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16858.jpg
The boys sussing
Day Three - The Shitshow
After being warned about a certain character we decided against our better judgement to capitilize on an offer from him and his cat skiing operation for some free cat skiing and a couple days at his touring yurts. The first day got off to a late start and after being reassured we only needed day packs and that we didn't need a topo map for our tour to the yurt we got underway. Other then that the 15km ski in got under way with out a hitch. We were with another person from the operation checking out the line they were going to use to push in the cat road to the yurt. We decided to leave the person from the operation so we could get a run down to the yurt instead of only having a full day of walking. As the sun started to fade and the "lake" nowhere in sight from the ridge panic began to set in. We skied along a ridge and still could not find where we needed to be and saw no smoke or light coming from anywere in the valley. At about 6:00 options were weighed and we decided against digging a snow cave and continued to look for the yurt. After about an hour of searching in -20 temperatures we finally located it. After a great dinner we went for a midnight ski under the moonlight which i will say is probably the highlight of the trip.
Next day the shitshow got into full effect. We were supposed to meet the cat at 11:30am on the other side of the ridge but got to a late start due to extremely cold temperatures. After an epic run we got back down to the valley where we saw the snowcat waiting at the top of a cutblock. We toured up to the cat to find no sign of any person, no notes, no radios, nothing. After about an hour of waiting we decided to start a fire to keep warm and once again began to face the prospect of spending another cold night in the backcountry without proper gear. Another hour passed until the owner of the operation finally toured up after having done a heli drop with another media film crew where he informed us he was too sure how we were going to get out. It was rapidly getting dark and the owner was frantically making phone calls even though he had known the cat was broken down for hours. Due to the approaching dark the prospect of being heli'd out was done, and the operation had no sleds on the mountain to speak of, so he informed to start hiking and skiing the 15km back to the vehicles. Another hour passed until one snowmobile finally showed up to tow out 11 riders. Needless to say there was a lot of anger involved, especially since our "guide" had dropped the ball in such an incredible way.
I'm happy to still have my toes.
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16851.jpg
Me, cold, looking for the yurt at sunset
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16850.jpg
Touring up the ridge at sunset
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16853.jpg
Beauty full (near) moon shot of the yurt
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16852.jpg
The moon
http://www.biglines.com/photos/blpic16855.jpg
Jesse James hucking
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