January 14, 2004, Selkirk Mtns-Mt. Mackenzie
1/14/04
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Just returned to Seattle on the 18th, following a week of mostly resort skiing in the Candian Rockies/Purcell Mtns...In search of some backcountry powder snow (in general there is currently a lot of ice and relatively thin snow cover at the ski areas in the Canadian Rockies) I ventured from the Banff area to Revelstoke, British Columbia, in the evening of the 13th.
Revelstoke certainly has much more snow than they did this time last year (currently ~2.5 to 3 feet on some of the flat roof tops in town); and the snow was falling hard upon arrival.
As this was a solo trip, I didn't have the ambition to venture into the backcountry alone...hence the backcountry turns were not "earned" but rather obtained by joining a snow-cat group (got a super discount rate on a "stand-by" slot)...Early the next morning (Jan. 14th) the group piled into the snow-cat at the small Powder Springs ski area (base elev. ~2,500-ft) nearby to the south of Revelstoke...the snow-cat ascended a long road well above the ski area to treeline on a west aspect at ~7,200-ft elev. on Mount MacKenzie.
The avalanche danger was high (~12-to-14 inches of fresh wet snow had fallen overnight, overlying a thin layer of dry snow, with a buried surface hoar layer beneath (~6,000-ft elev. on a west aspect)...a huge natural avalanche overnight had blocked the Trans-Canada Highway nearby to the west of Revelstoke). Owing to the reportedly "high" avalanche danger we skied fantastic tree-runs and shallow-angle glades. As the temperature was rather warm for the Selkirks (~30-degrees), the snow was a bit wet and heavy... far from classic Selkirk champange...so I felt right at home carving turns in the wet concrete...the guides of course remarking about the snow being "Whistler" or "West Coast" type. It was actually quite enjoyable- ~9,000 total vert. ft (6 runs) with excellent steep sections and well-spaced trees in the forest.
In the evening, I departed for Golden, B.C. to resume the solo resort skiing the next day.
A local ski bum in Golden informed me that another natural avalanche had crashed down on the highway near Rogers Pass, apparently a few hours before I had driven through that stretch of road (the slide had been cleared by then).
Revelstoke certainly has much more snow than they did this time last year (currently ~2.5 to 3 feet on some of the flat roof tops in town); and the snow was falling hard upon arrival.
As this was a solo trip, I didn't have the ambition to venture into the backcountry alone...hence the backcountry turns were not "earned" but rather obtained by joining a snow-cat group (got a super discount rate on a "stand-by" slot)...Early the next morning (Jan. 14th) the group piled into the snow-cat at the small Powder Springs ski area (base elev. ~2,500-ft) nearby to the south of Revelstoke...the snow-cat ascended a long road well above the ski area to treeline on a west aspect at ~7,200-ft elev. on Mount MacKenzie.
The avalanche danger was high (~12-to-14 inches of fresh wet snow had fallen overnight, overlying a thin layer of dry snow, with a buried surface hoar layer beneath (~6,000-ft elev. on a west aspect)...a huge natural avalanche overnight had blocked the Trans-Canada Highway nearby to the west of Revelstoke). Owing to the reportedly "high" avalanche danger we skied fantastic tree-runs and shallow-angle glades. As the temperature was rather warm for the Selkirks (~30-degrees), the snow was a bit wet and heavy... far from classic Selkirk champange...so I felt right at home carving turns in the wet concrete...the guides of course remarking about the snow being "Whistler" or "West Coast" type. It was actually quite enjoyable- ~9,000 total vert. ft (6 runs) with excellent steep sections and well-spaced trees in the forest.
In the evening, I departed for Golden, B.C. to resume the solo resort skiing the next day.
A local ski bum in Golden informed me that another natural avalanche had crashed down on the highway near Rogers Pass, apparently a few hours before I had driven through that stretch of road (the slide had been cleared by then).
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