Southern BC interior 2017/2018

**dufferdan** · 02-26-2018, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by DanoT

^^^QFT. The original owners hired Al Raine as a consultant and he advised them to not proceed with the project. (For those who don't know, Al is married to former Olympic and WC Champion Nancy Greene and was instrumental in the early 80s for the success of Whistler-Blackcomb).

Al's main reasons for not recommending RMR:

1. The size and scope of the development was too large for a small town like Revelstoke.
2. Revelstoke is too remote and hard to get to.
3. Base elevation too low
4. Not enough intermediate "family friendly" terrain.

#4 is the real killer as it is mostly families that buy second homes in ski country and lack of intermediate terrain can't be fixed by more lifts or better road or air access. And then the real estate developer/owners go and price real estate higher than Whistler!!!

OTOH we are the beneficiaries of owners, with no ski industry experience and more money than brains, who decide not to listen to hired experts.

An uncle of mine was one of the original developer/ owners. Before they started putting money in the ground, I asked him where was the traffic going to come from. His point, 1.it is some of the best terrain in the world. No argument there. 2 train people in from Kelowna or drive from Calgary. Having driven Rogers Pass a lot, I said no, that isn’t going to be a lock as Rogers pass can be closed for days at a time.

My uncle did a lot of the original town relations, they got the place built, and he sold to the senior partner, as did the other 9 I believe. He owned the cat ski operation for a month as part of his payment, has a lot mid-mountain for a 50 -100 bed condo unit and a 2 bedroom condo at the base. He isn’t building until he sees traffic.

But man, it is an awesome spot.

By the way, on another subject, son and I did 4,000 vert round turns on Sat at Panorama on beautiful groomers...24,000 vertical feet in 4 hours or so, with a break for beer and poutine. Not a bad afternoon. At RMR, the bottom 2500 vert might well have been slush.

But the North bowl at RMR is awesome!

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**Skiwurrel** · 02-27-2018, 01:47 PM

Anyone available for vernon/kelowna touring next week?

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**Gcooker** · 02-27-2018, 05:43 PM

If there are any mags around Red or Whitewater this week let me know, I’m rolling solo between the two hills.

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**meggers** · 02-27-2018, 06:09 PM

Originally Posted by Skiwurrel

Anyone available for vernon/kelowna touring next week?

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Not much for touring around here, but I will probably be around or someone from my usual crew will be around and willing , just shoot me a PM! Were you hoping to ski anything in particular ?

**nickinbc** · 02-27-2018, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by dufferdan

train people in from Kelowna

I can't really believe that anyone with any sense would think that was anything like a viable option (even if CP rail were willing).

OTOH city council was daft enough to subsidize an air service with insignificant capacity that has had to divert more often than it arrived this year...

**cmcrawfo** · 02-27-2018, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by nickinbc

I can't really believe that anyone with any sense would think that was anything like a viable option (even if CP rail were willing).

OTOH city council was daft enough to subsidize an air service with insignificant capacity that has had to divert more often than it arrived this year...

I had assumed "trained" was a colloquialism... perhaps not...

**cmcrawfo** · 02-27-2018, 08:22 PM

Originally Posted by meggers

Not much for touring around here...

Well, I don't know about that ...If you have a skidoo for access, there is an amazing amount of terrain right out the back door.

**cmcrawfo** · 02-27-2018, 08:24 PM

Sad news out of keefer lake Monday, and increased reports of an active PWL.

Keep yer Heads up and stay safe.

**el hefe** · 02-27-2018, 08:53 PM

Originally Posted by meggers

Not much for touring around here, but I will probably be around or someone from my usual crew will be around and willing , just shoot me a PM! Were you hoping to ski anything in particular ?

Possibilities are almost endless with a sled! Braaap!!! So much to explore within a 1.5 hr drive. Leave at 7am and back for Dinner!

**el hefe** · 02-27-2018, 08:55 PM

Also there is a decent drive up zone off of Keefer lk rd. This year's snowpack would make it good to go. Short tour from rd and good pitch.

**meggers** · 02-27-2018, 09:04 PM

Unfortunately I'm sled free at least for another year or so. Glad to have Apex slack country and a ski pass until then!

Hoping to check out Yeoward before the season ends near Keefer. My friends have been skiing that alot this winter

**cmcrawfo** · 02-27-2018, 10:03 PM

If they are still hauling up Taylor FSR (lumby sled club), you could do some touring laps off the road in a few spots. Short tree runs, but as they say "meggers cant be choosers"

**Meanfruit** · 02-28-2018, 08:48 AM

Originally Posted by nickinbc

I can't really believe that anyone with any sense would think that was anything like a viable option (even if CP rail were willing).

OTOH city council was daft enough to subsidize an air service with insignificant capacity that has had to divert more often than it arrived this year...

No rail from Kelowna to Revelstoke via Sicamous anymore, most of the railbed has been turned into walk/bike path from Ktown to Vernon. Not that this would fly, anyway. Most regular folks in the Okanagan ski their hometown hills, it's easier then driving to Revy, and you have zero risk of missing work due to road closures. Been there, done that. Still, can't beat the pizza at the Village Idiot.

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**el hefe** · 02-28-2018, 01:04 PM

There is a section of trees up above silver star road that looks pretty good right now. In between Sovereign lake XC and the garbage dump. Drive up to the sled parking lot at the top of Sovereign and ski back down to SS rd. Its south facing and rocky but this year the coverage is all time. Terrain looks really fun. Nice trees, they were logged due to pine beetle.

Also, anywhere from Coldstream to almost lumby is great this winter. Open grasslands north side of HWY 6. Pretty amazing that there is 2ft-3ft of snow in there and it is March. Drive until you see a nice steep area and pull over and skin up.

**swissiphic** · 02-28-2018, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by el hefe

There is a section of trees up above silver star road that looks pretty good right now. In between Sovereign lake XC and the garbage dump. Drive up to the sled parking lot at the top of Sovereign and ski back down to SS rd. Its south facing and rocky but this year the coverage is all time. Terrain looks really fun. Nice trees, they were logged due to pine beetle.

Skied that stuff the year after they logged it, fun little mini golf lines.

Also, skied a few shots from the road heading up to sovereign lakes x/c area....after road ascends from main ss road intersection, crosses under powerlines, then there's a switchback. Parked at switchback and skied down a bit skier's rightish.

Then, on ss main road, head up towards garbage dump...look for a terrain spur that projects to the right or maybe sw ish? from that spur I skied a few lines down into the drainage i think facing west.

Again, this was years ago, no clue how much regen or windfall has changed the skiability of those lines.

**swissiphic** · 02-28-2018, 01:12 PM

Originally Posted by cmcrawfo

"meggers cant be choosers"

Great new run name!

**alive** · 02-28-2018, 01:17 PM

Yea, so nice to be skiing local lines still this year. Look out at this line from the office window, and is so nice to be skinning up 5 minutes from the house. Saw some other tracks up there as well for the first time.

https://youtu.be/BCJQP1QFR7U

**el hefe** · 02-28-2018, 01:38 PM

^^^^ that terrain looked like a lot of fun. Nice vid!

**meggers** · 02-28-2018, 01:51 PM

We've been getting creative and have had lots of fun skiing local lines, I wish every winter was like this, I prefer skiing way more than running in the evening... We even skied the trees you're talking about near the dump at SS on the way home from the resort last week. It was deeeeeep.

Originally Posted by alive

Yea, so nice to be skiing local lines still this year. Look out at this line from the office window, and is so nice to be skinning up 5 minutes from the house. Saw some other tracks up there as well for the first time.

https://youtu.be/BCJQP1QFR7U

Thanks again for the Black Mountain tip Alive, hoping to ski it in better conditions, as it went a little like this for me ...

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EDIT: Thanks for the tips and great pun cmcrawfo, I'll be sure to check it out before the snow is gone!

**alive** · 02-28-2018, 02:01 PM

Ahh... Too bad! I have lots of that Glop Stopper skin wax if you need some. Nikwax makes some decent skin treatment as well. Hope the snow sticks (non stop puns around here!) around for a while longer. May try a couple laps tomorrow.

**sparkletarte.** · 03-01-2018, 12:43 PM

30c on the way!

**meggers** · 03-01-2018, 01:42 PM

Originally Posted by alive

Ahh... Too bad! I have lots of that Glop Stopper skin wax if you need some. Nikwax makes some decent skin treatment as well. Hope the snow sticks (non stop puns around here!) around for a while longer. May try a couple laps tomorrow.

I have plenty of it too, just didn't really think it through. Let me know how the conditions are!

**el hefe** · 03-01-2018, 01:52 PM

48cm at baldy overnight.

**alive** · 03-01-2018, 03:12 PM

Wow! Had to check that out as it didn't sound right. Looks legit with another 30cm tonight. Boundary country looks like the place to be this weekend...