BC SKI #3 - January 2018
For the third year in a row, my partner Malcolm and I spent a large chunk of January in British Columbia. In 2016 we were there for 11 days. In 2017 our trip spanned 14 days. This year, we spent 23 days. In 2019 maybe we move there? Kidding, kind of.
It can be hard to leave Alaska, especially to go skiing when we have so much excellent ski terrain here. But lately it has been rainy in Alaska in December and January. And the short days, although beautiful, can really be an emotional downer. For me, the pros of heading to Canada outweigh the cons.
Reasons to Ski in BC:
Tree skiing
Poutine
Complicated (ie interesting) ski terrain
Longer days than AK
Bafflingly friendly Canadians
The USD to CAD exchange rate
Cheap flights to Kelowna and Calgary
Reasons not the Ski in BC:
Beer - objectively better in Alaska
My dog - gosh darn it I missed her
We spent the first two weeks nordic skiing, backcountry skiing and resort skiing in Revelstoke, Golden, British Columbia. Skiing every single day for three weeks felt like a really healthy way to start the year and reset our intentions for a 2018 full of healthy habits and time spent outside.
After visiting some of our favorite spots and discovering some new ski terrain near Golden and Revelstoke, we headed south to Nelson where we met up with thirteen of our friends from Alaska. We flew into the Kokanee Glacier Cabin in Kokanee Glacier Provincial Park for seven days of backcountry skiing. Although we had sub-optimal stability, we made the most of our week, noodling around in low-angle powder and drooling over lines we'll have to come back for when stability is more ideal. I was super proud of our group for having really great communication and safe, conservative decision making.
I really can't imagine a better way to spend my time than skiing everyday and then going back to a hut to spend time with people I love, reading books, playing board games, making tasty food and singing off key. I'm already looking forward to our next hut trip.
