LQ Outpost Interior BC, Valkyr Range Jan 8 - 15

[LeeLau]

Backcountry skiing is apparently now a thing as is the experience of touring out of a hut located at 2190m elevation at the doorstep of the alpine in the Valkyr Range.

When old friend Simon contacted me with news that his colleague Tyler had a prime week at the LQ Outpost it took little time to rope a few friends into getting on to this guided, catered trip.

Guides

Tyler Higgins info@flowguidingservice.com

Simon Beland sim001@hotmail.com

Cook

Peter Kusnierz peter@Alpinedreams.ca

https://valkyradventures.com/lodge/t...unt-lequereux/

[LeeLau]

Unfortunately ( and behind our guides or Valkyr's control) our helipilot wasn't comfortable with Interior BC fog and cloud flying. Who knew that Arctic flying skills wouldn't translate to typical BC flying conditions.

We therefore had a botched day 1 transfer day and retired to the Nakusp Hot Springs to make the best of the situation.

Fortunately we flew in on Day 2 to the relief of the LQ Outpost with fresh supplies of prime TP, food, libations and quickly settled in.

Our first day was spent getting a handle on the snowpack off Broom Ridge and the paths of Broom Trees. Snow was of pretty darned good quality with some sluffing observed

[Dromond]

What snow depths are you seeing there? I’ve heard it’s pretty shallow in much of the interior.

[hutash]

FKNA, a LeeLau TR. Sorry you lost a day, but looks like you quickly made up for it. Looks like some deep goodness. I hope there is a lot more TR to come.

[LeeLau]

What snow depths are you seeing there? I’ve heard it’s pretty shallow in much of the interior.

180cms+ @ 2180m. Was 145 at start of week pre storm. Skiing from 2300 to 1500m

[Dromond]

That is some nice storm accumulation. Stay safe and have fun.

[LeeLau]

That is some nice storm accumulation. Stay safe and have fun.

It was decent stability with near surface faceting with consistent temps. Some wind slab but moreso in the alpine. Stteps and pillows at treeline skied beautifully. All that changes of course later in the week with the pineapple.

Not much appreciable slab till that happened with high winds and higher temps. We stayed below freezing, helped by a high elevation location.

Ok onto more skiing

At LQ Outpost Jan 8 - 15 on day 3

Following a good ski day and slope testing, we thought it wise to use our plentiful allocation of lucky splitboarders to step it up ( gradually) into steeper terrain. Our group skied the steepr shots off Broom, then Windy and culminated with donger hunts in Magic.

A trace of new snow but what was already there had near surface facets and dried out superbly well making for dilbit condensate dry snow of triple tabernouche tears of Trudeau pow.

The day ended with clouds breaking and views toward the north end of Valkyr's tenure with Hilda, McBride framed in the evening light. Then we got quadruple overhead dinners from Peter

[LeeLau]

LQ Outpost Jan 8 - 15 - Day 4

A bring it on day as temps stayed consistent and cold while skies cleared holding onto the good visibility from the evening before.

A trace of new snow freshened up the snowpack. SE winds also started throughout the day. More snow fell in the afternoon with the clear skies disappearing and ceiling dropping.

We skied towards Lequereux -No Name Col but backed off as height of snow went from 145cms to 80cms rapidly and winds picked up. We then did a lap in Helmet Bowl in the sun then over to Machine Ridge.

Simon then put in a masterclass of routefinding down Machine Ridge and off the nose of the Machine and navigating cliff bands down "Turbo" Machine. Our longest run of the week at 700m + of pillowy fall-line low density pow!

We then skinned back and around the nose of Machine Ridge counter clockwise back up to Magic Lake. That itself gives you a good look at the many lines descending NNE ans N off Machine Ridge replete with dongers and whiteroom hallways.

We then followed a skintrack put in by Tyler from Magic Lake to the Machine Ridge nose. It was another masterclass of skintrack setting through sustained 40 deg hallway terrain marked as Magic Spout aka Magic Pillows. It was with little reluctance that we stripped skins at the top to then take the same run down gutting that quadruple overhead baby's breath blower sublimely scintillating steep pow.

Dragged ourselves back to LQ just before sunset tired but happy and slayed Mt Appetizers and Dinner

Insanely great routefinding brought to you by Simon and Tyler.

[LeeLau]

Turbo MachineAttachment 443015

[LeeLau]

Magic Pillows aka Magic Spout

[Dromond]

I actually had a trip to the outpost in a works a few years ago that fell through. That terrain looks fun, and the coverage better than I would expect given the general consensus on the poor snow year in much of BC.

[LeeLau]

I actually had a trip to the outpost in a works a few years ago that fell through. That terrain looks fun, and the coverage better than I would expect given the general consensus on the poor snow year in much of BC.

Its got some of the best long fall line trees Ive seen in lodge based Interior BC but would appeal more to stronger tourers for both the ups and downs. The mellow trees are more generic but plentiful also for lower stability days

LQ Outpost Jan 8 - 15 2023 Day 5

Mid week pow frenzy happens. We're now a tad more confident in the snowpack so it's time to hit the classic Machine runs.

The LQ terrain is known for long steep treed runs. The Machine is up there in the pantheon of superb fall-line hallways of pillowed pow and today our group collectively got to put in multiple laps followed by closing laps of the Brooms.

[LeeLau]

LQ Outpost 8 - 15, 2023 Day 6 and 7

This season's snowpack is spooky with several buried weak layers. We had been pretty lucky earlier in the week steadily building confidence as changes in snow, temps and weather had been slower and gradual giving us the opportunity to step out into more aggressive terrain.

Day 6 things changed as temps spiked. We got a Goretex workout as new snow fell laying an upside down snowpack with denser snow lying over a lighter layer. Skiing started getting challenging but we considered ourselves luck to avoid the dreaded pineapple as the relatively high elevation hut location allowed us to get 250m laps of the Brooms

More things changed on the evening of our 6th day and stability went to pot for Day 7. Winds picked up and swirled from the SE while temps increased. The resulting wind slab triggered easily on sheltered surface hoar. Several whumpf settlements early in the day set the tone, restricting us to lower angled yoyos close to the lodge. But at least we got to ski above the rain and in decent snow.

Lots of sauna, lots of food and lots of pow. Thanks to Tyler and Simon for getting us the goods. Thanks to Peter for the magnificent food. Thanks to Steve for keeping the sauna stoked and lodge spic and span and things dialled. Last but not least, thanks to Shelly and Martin for the awesomeness that is the Valkyr Mountain Lodge terrain

[bennymac]

solid work LL

[garyfromterrace]

Outstanding! Great pics and write up Lee, looks like you guys nailed it.