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  1. #1
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    344

    TR: Snowfall Lodge, Selkirk Mtns, BC

    Video mostly of the down, pics mostly of the up



    Last season, my wife and I spent a week at Icefall Lodge in the BC Rockies. We ended up touring every day with the same group of 5 (a mix of ironman triathletes from bellingham and salt lake city that we pretty much just struggled to keep up with all week), and ended up getting along with them so well that upon hearing that owner Larry was opening a new hut in the Selkirk Mtns just south of Rogers Pass, the 7 of us booked a week as soon as we got home from Icefall.

    Snowfall Lodge is about 40 km due east of the Revelstoke resort and sits at 1600 m in a steep NW-facing basin, pretty much the same aspect as most of the resort. To get an idea of the most easily accessible terrain at Snowfall, think of the resort but stretch it vertically 700 m higher (and remove all people and lifts).

    The current hut is pretty rudimentary. Main seating area/kitchen and loft sleeping upstairs. Water was hauled in from the creek. Heat from a wood-burning stove. Enough electricity was provided for LED lights and radios by solar panel and diesel generator. There's a sauna too, equipped with the latest in hand-held watering can shower technology. A larger hut is going up this summer that will have all the amenities. I personally love the vibe and small group size of the small simple hut and will be sad to see it replaced.


    First couple days saw low clouds and lots of wind.












    The next 4 days were mostly cold and clear.







    Three of us went up for an extra lap at the end of day 2. It was a highlight of the trip for me. This is about a 45 min skin from the hut. I’m often told by skiers I don’t turn enough, but I’ll bet you can’t pick my track out.


    The view from the doorless crapper at sunrise


    On our way to drop into the next S-facing drainage


    The tree runs here were amazing


    Making our way to the home drainage at the end of the day


    Back down to the hut for soup and snacks


    N-facing tree runs the next day
    Last edited by raypruit; 02-17-2017 at 01:12 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    344
    And back into the home drainage








    Can't go on a hut trip without taking advantage of the lack of light pollution. Would have preferred no moon for more stars, but whatevs


    One of our group's wife's name is Dorthe


    Hut life is the good life. I wish this small basic hut was staying put


    This was our one mountaineering day, summiting the highest peak in the region - Illusion Peak at 2900 m. Snow was pretty terrible but views were incredible.


    My wife is a total badass. Seen here 5.5 months preggers at 2800m.


    On the summit!


    Decent views




    Last March, when the snowpack was fatter, a group did a 2200m N-facing run from the summit of Illusion (here) to the valley bottom (way down there). That was probably pretty fun


    Surfed this toeside wave back to the hut


    Last day it started snowing, so we went back to the trees, where I did some of the funnest pillow runs of my life













    3 of us did this bonus final lap of the trip


    Before our last day, it hadn't snowed in almost 2 weeks, and it was still a total blast. I would lose my mind at this place with a couple feet of fresh. I will be back for sure!

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Vancouver/Whistler
    Posts
    13,985
    How much?? Guided catered? Or barebones? Terrain looks amazeballs

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Revelstoke
    Posts
    670
    I would also like to know as I have some vacation time to use up.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2008
    Location
    Golden, CO
    Posts
    2,729
    nice TR ... thanks!

    also, yea, you're wife is a bad ass.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    344

    TR: Snowfall Lodge, Selkirk Mtns, BC

    Guided and catered. $1950. Prices will likely go up next season with the new hut though. Still worth it. What else is money for?

    Self guided and self catered spots available but only early and late season I think. And I heard talk of self guided groups only being allowed if they use ACMG certified guides. You want Pierre to guide you anyways. He knows this place like the back of his hand and he will do 3000m a day if you want to. Going without him or Larry would be a mistake IMO

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Vancouver/Whistler
    Posts
    13,985
    Quote Originally Posted by raypruit View Post
    Guided and catered. $1950. Prices will likely go up next season with the new hut though. Still worth it. What else is money for?

    Self guided and self catered spots available but only early and late season I think. And I heard talk of self guided groups only being allowed if they use ACMG certified guides. You want Pierre to guide you anyways. He knows this place like the back of his hand. Going without him or Larry would be a mistake IMO
    Yeah it would be cool to learn the terrain but there's a certain intellectual challenge to puzzling out stuff. We had 2 grand trips to Icefall self-guided. Been looking at maps and GE. Very nice

    AlexC - if you're interested here's the map and hut location. The layout's pretty logical. A group of larg'ish peaks themselves just W of the Battle Group

    Click image for larger version. 

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    Mapsource grab. Lots of N facing choices. Lots of ways to tour big glaciers too

    Click image for larger version. 

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    and Mapsource map
    Last edited by LeeLau; 02-14-2017 at 10:37 PM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    344
    Quote Originally Posted by LeeLau View Post
    Yeah it would be cool to learn the terrain but there's a certain intellectual challenge to puzzling out stuff. We had 2 grand trips to Icefall self-guided. Been looking at maps and GE. Very nice
    I get the route finding appeal but I'd rather do that on weekends. On hut trips I personally just want to maximise quality shredding. I also like watching and learning from guides in action, which I otherwise never do

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Paper St. Soap Co.
    Posts
    3,303
    Nice!

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2015
    Location
    Call-A-Rad-Bro
    Posts
    201
    great stoke!!!

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    vernon
    Posts
    2,977
    Nice thanks for posting. Any set up for charging cameras etc...?
    www.skevikskis.com Check em out!

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    344
    a couple ppl were able to charge their phones from the battery, but i wouldn't count on it as the priority is lights and radios. i brought this thing http://www.goalzero.com/p/180/lighthouse-250-lantern, which i won at the TGR higher movie premiere and thought i'd never use but is actually pretty handy for hut trips

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Dec 2008
    Location
    Nashville TN
    Posts
    1,054
    Quote Originally Posted by raypruit View Post
    a couple ppl were able to charge their phones from the battery, but i wouldn't count on it as the priority is lights and radios. i brought this thing http://www.goalzero.com/p/180/lighthouse-250-lantern, which i won at the TGR higher movie premiere and thought i'd never use but is actually pretty handy for hut trips
    you ever hand cranked that thing? Wondering if that's really effective or just a novelty act?

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    344
    it has a capacity of 16.3 Wh and handcranking at 120 RPM produces 2.2W, so it would take about 8 hrs of hand cranking to fully charge it. but 1 min of cranking produces 10 min of light so it's not bad as a lantern. i mainly used it as a battery/lantern. you can charge it at home by USB, then power other stuff via USB in the field. the capacity is actually pretty good - a full battery will charge ~15 gopro batteries for example.

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Revelstoke
    Posts
    670
    There's an open week at the end of March, I just need to find seven other people. I was told unguided and uncatered is a possibility, but it would have to be cleared with Larry.

  16. #16
    Join Date
    Feb 2005
    Location
    North Vancouver/Whistler
    Posts
    13,985
    Quote Originally Posted by AlexC View Post
    There's an open week at the end of March, I just need to find seven other people. I was told unguided and uncatered is a possibility, but it would have to be cleared with Larry.
    Cooper - I'm going to be living in a van at Rogers Pass for a week mid March so I can't go but I do know quite a few ski bums who'd want to go. Drop me a line if you need people who want to go.

    EDIT and I started making a marked up TRIM map for the area so you're welcome to it if you want

  17. #17
    Join Date
    Nov 2014
    Posts
    344
    wish i could go again in march...

  18. #18
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Location
    Juneau
    Posts
    1,093
    Quality TR.

  19. #19
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    Couloirfornia
    Posts
    8,871
    Solid work here.
    Quote Originally Posted by Ernest_Hemingway View Post
    I realize there is not much hope for a bullfighting forum. I understand that most of you would prefer to discuss the ingredients of jacket fabrics than the ingredients of a brave man. I know nothing of the former. But the latter is made of courage, and skill, and grace in the presence of the possibility of death. If someone could make a jacket of those three things it would no doubt be the most popular and prized item in all of your closets.

  20. #20
    Join Date
    Mar 2017
    Posts
    25
    Great TR! Love the long exposure night time pictures of the lodge!

  21. #21
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    vernon
    Posts
    2,977
    Only a week before I head out there. So pumped!!! First time in a loooonggg time I will be totally unplugged.
    www.skevikskis.com Check em out!

  22. #22
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    in a van down by the river
    Posts
    2,769
    Nice TR... looking forward to getting out there.
    I don't work and I don't save, desperate women pay my way.

  23. #23
    Join Date
    Nov 2003
    Location
    Vallee Teton
    Posts
    2,586
    looks awesome, thanks for sharing.
    hut/yurt trips are awesome!
    Aggressive in my own mind

  24. #24
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    N side, Terrace, BC
    Posts
    5,144
    Nice job Ray, thanks for the TR. Though it has been said here before - yes, your wife's a bad ass!
    “I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.”
    ― Kurt Vonnegut, A Man Without a Country

    www.mymountaincoop.ca

    This is OUR mountain - come join us!

  25. #25
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Location
    vernon
    Posts
    2,977
    That place is amazing. Just got back last night, such a fun trip. Will post a TR. Dave Sproule was our guide, he was awesome.
    www.skevikskis.com Check em out!

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