Home > Trip Reports > Jan 28, 2017, Snowfall Lodge, Selkirk Mtns, BC, Jan 28 - Feb 4

Jan 28, 2017, Snowfall Lodge, Selkirk Mtns, BC, Jan 28 - Feb 4

1/28/17
Canada BC
3062
7
Posted by discostew on 2/14/17 10:35am
Video mostly of the down, pics mostly of the up

https://vimeo.com/203485950

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.

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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 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.
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The view from the doorless crapper at sunrise
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On our way to drop into the next S-facing drainage


The tree runs here were amazing
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Making our way to the home drainage at the end of the day
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Back down to the hut for soup and snacks
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N-facing tree runs the next day
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And back into the home drainage
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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

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One of our group's wife's name is Dorthe
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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.
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On the summit!
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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
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Last day it started snowing, so we went back to the trees, where I did some of the funnest pillow runs of my life
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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!
Looks perfect. Great photos.

Thanks for sharing - looks like some great terrain. And the temporary hut experience is  like old (ish) times - flashback to  the  '90s up in those  parts.

How extensive is the tree skiing terrain  (i.e. is there days worth of it to mine during a storm cycle?)?

The prospect of mid winter deep tree skiing was what drew us there. There is a crap ton of if to be had. All aspects, all steep. Unfortunately, the snowpack down low was lower than expected so we didn't get to experience the full potential of the trees, but what we did get to sample was amazing.



Real fun! Group of shredders there. Were you guided?

yup guided by part-owner Pierre. He is the man!

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discostew
2017-02-14 18:35:38