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        <title><![CDATA[Purcell Mountains]]></title>
        <description>RSS of Purcell Mountains</description>
        <pubDate>Thu, 05 Nov 2026 07:41:58 -0800</pubDate>
        <link>https://bcs-stage.websites.px-bcs.pixxell.co</link>
                        <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Farnham Conditions Report]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[One of the many relatively pointless activities I enjoy is trying to ski in every month of the year. Preferably&amp;nbsp;in powder, but sadly that&amp;#39;s not always feasible. In fact, my 19 month run of skiing powder in western Canada will officially come to an end on Tuesday, but luckily I still got out for some turns to continue the ski streak.&amp;nbsp;

Below are some photos from the day out a Farnham Glacier in the Purcells. Conditions on the glacier were great with over a meter of snow remaining in places. There are a few weak bridges lurking that would not hold the weight of a person, however, they were all in thinner areas toward the periphery where the crevasses beneath would have a hard time swallowing a chipmunk. That said, if warm temps continue the bigger holes may start to open up.&amp;nbsp;

We were able to drive to just beyond the last bridge where leftover slide debris didn&amp;#39;t seem worth chancing&amp;nbsp;at night in the Subaru. Later in the day we did see someone&amp;#39;s bush truck make it across.&amp;nbsp;

Enjoy the photos:

Anyone else been out for some summer turns of late?]]></description>
            <pubDate>2017-07-30 11:53:09</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/farnham-conditions-report</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/farnham-conditions-report</guid>
                    </item>
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            <title><![CDATA[Powder Creek Lodge Opening Early!]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Powder Creek Lodge Opening Early!

Interested in some Kootenay Cold Smoke??? We just returned from a recon mission to the lodge. Snowpack 120cm at treeline already. We are about 3 weeks ahead&amp;nbsp;of schedule and looks like a lot more snow forecast starting this weekend. &amp;nbsp;Photo is from Nov 8.

We normally book 3 years out&amp;nbsp;so this is a unique opportunity. &amp;nbsp;We have added an extra trip this year. &amp;nbsp;Still space available on our &amp;#39;bonus&amp;#39; trip, Dec 12-17. Self-guided and self-catered, sweet price at only $850! Even snowboarders are allowed.&amp;nbsp;

Contact us: &amp;nbsp;info@powdercreeklodge.com
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-11-11 09:53:37</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/Powder-Creek-Lodge</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/Powder-Creek-Lodge</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Backcountry Skiing Jumbo]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[My phone alarm went off&amp;nbsp;at 5:00am. I jumped out of bed, quickly brushed my teeth and started packing. I couldn&amp;rsquo;t pack the night before because I had too many activities during the day and by the time I got home I was exhausted.&amp;nbsp;


Somebody who had been to Jumbo recently mentioned he only hit snow on the trail about 3/4 of the way up before he put snowshoes on, so I decided to wear hiking shoes and carry my ski boots in my backpack. Stoked about going to this magical place again, I did not pay much attention to the weight of my pack.


Courtney, whom I met through the Kootenay Mountaineering Club&amp;rsquo;s facebook page, came to pick me up&amp;nbsp;at 6:00am&amp;nbsp;and we headed towards 6 Mile where my friend Tim was ready and waiting for us. We left his place in his right-hand drive, high-clearance vehicle&amp;nbsp;at 6:30am, stopped in Kaslo only to put gas and managed to get to the Jumbo Pass parking lot at around&amp;nbsp;9:30am. There were no signs of snow on the trail, so we put our skins on, tied our skis to our backpacks and dived into our one-day adventure.&amp;nbsp;


The forest was bathing in the warm glow of the sun. Тhe white tops of the mountains were peeking through the branches of the fir trees, contrasting the clear blue sky. As the trail went steeper my thighs started burning and I realized how heavy the load on my back was. It felt really good to put my skis on once the path got fully covered with snow.&amp;nbsp;


Courtney and Tim were mesmerized by the views, which the big mountain kept presenting to us as we were going out of the trees and getting more into the alpine. It was their first time at Jumbo and I could see the excitement was building up.


We reached the hut at around&amp;nbsp;1:00pm&amp;nbsp;and sat on the porch, all captivated by the breath-taking scenery. Soon after our quick lunch, Courtney and I were en route to the top of the ridge. Tim had not taken his avalanche safety gear thinking there wouldn&amp;rsquo;t be much snow, so he stayed at the hut.&amp;nbsp;


The silence of the mountains was as pure as the white blanket of snow that was now covering the rugged hills. We skinned up, following the zigzagging tracks of whoever climbed that ridge before. A familiar sensation of peace and gratitude filled my whole self as we reached the top. I could have stayed up there forever, drinking it all. But we had to go back as it was going to get dark soon.


We took the skins off our skis and looked down, eagerly searching for some untouched powder. It was quite warm for the time of the year and the snow was heavy and sticky but we couldn&amp;rsquo;t care less. Skiing down felt like a blink.

Tim was waiting for us by the little lake near the hut, happy to have spent some time alone in the silence of the wilderness, savouring the last rays of sunshine.


It was already&amp;nbsp;3:00pm&amp;nbsp;and we knew we would be walking in the dark, trying to reach Tim&amp;rsquo;s right-hand drive, high-clearance vehicle that was going to take us back to the human world, where now everyone was frantically waiting for the new president of the United States&amp;nbsp;to be elected.&amp;nbsp;


By Vanya&amp;nbsp;Petkova
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-11-11 04:24:07</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/Jumbo</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/Jumbo</guid>
                    </item>
                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Jumbo Access - Snowmobile]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Planning an early season trip to Jumbo.&amp;nbsp;Does anyone know of someone who you can pay to sled you to the trailhead? If so is there a number or email&amp;nbsp;I&amp;nbsp;can contact them at? Cheers!!]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-10-11 10:43:40</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/Jumbo%20Access</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/Jumbo%20Access</guid>
                    </item>
                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Jumbo Pass - Wild and Deep]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Our intrepid crew spent January 18 to 22, 2016, skiing our butts off and staying in the comfortable Jumbo Cabin located at Jumbo Pass, British Columbia. The pass lies at the heart of the Purcell Mountain Range, dividing the East Kootenays from the West Kootenays between Invermere and Argenta.&amp;nbsp;
&amp;nbsp;

Drying the skis after a few days skiing. The stove is toasty.

While most groups access the cabin from the east via Invermere just beyond Panorama Resort, our group hails from the West Kootenays and we opted to access from the west via Glacier Creek forest service road. We rode snowmobiles, with toboggans in tow, approximately 25k to the forest service trail head that leads to the cabin. After four and a half arduous hours of breaking trail in deep snow, the six of us arrived at the cabin just before nightfall.&amp;nbsp;
&amp;nbsp;

The snow parts for a glimpse of the cabin and Horseshoe Glacier behind.
&amp;nbsp;
We enjoyed four comfortable nights at the Jumbo Cabin. With single mats for four in the upstairs loft and two double mats on the main floor, the cabin can comfortably sleep six or accommodate 8 should two couples be willing to cozy up for the night. The cabin does require reservations for $15 per night per person or $50 for the whole cabin. Reservations can be made with the Columbia Valley Hut Society (http://www.cvhsinfo.org/).

In deep with Jumbo Mountain standing tall behind.
&amp;nbsp;
The cabin is heated by wood stove and has propane stoves for the cooking and lanterns for illumination. It is not spacious but it is functional in design. All the basic amenities for cooking and eating are available, and the newer outhouse offers a smart system for changing the waste barrel should you be the unfortunate ones that need to take care of the nasty.
&amp;nbsp;

Laps from the cabin mean warm lunches, fingers and toes.
&amp;nbsp;
Jumbo Mountain and its glacier in British Columbia reportedly earned its name from a mining claim that was named after P.T. Barnum&amp;rsquo;s famous performing elephant, the first giant African Elephant to arrive in North America. And while the mine may have never achieved such a status, the surrounding 3000+ metre mountains are worthy of the title &amp;ldquo;Jumbo.&amp;rdquo;
The area around Jumbo Cabin offers excellent skiing of all types, from bold alpine aspirations to sub-alpine bowls, steep trees and everything in between. Despite some clearing skies the first night and morning, it snowed incessantly and we enjoyed knee- to waist-deep powder at sub-alpine elevations the entire trip.&amp;nbsp;
Snow stability was reasonable for the first several days, with pit tests showing moderate releases on a preserved stellar layer approximately 60cm down. Ski cuts had no results for the first part of our trip. However, on our last day of skiing the snow dragons began to awake with milder temperatures and a storm snow slab beginning to form due to moderate winds. By mid-day were were ski-cutting size one storm-slab/sluff avalanches on convexities on 30-35 degree slopes. On our way out on the 22nd there were signs of natural avalanches in prominent slide paths. It was no surprise when we made our way back to the trucks to hear of special avalanche warnings on the radio.
It is worth noting that the Jumbo Pass cabin lies just south of the controversial Jumbo Glacier Resort proposal, which has been raging for decades. For an excellent and entertaining understanding of the history of the Jumbo Glacier proposal, watch the documentary Jumbo Wild by Patagonia and Sweetgrass Productions. We prefer it precisely the way it is, wild.
&amp;nbsp;

Powder charriot.]]></description>
            <pubDate>2016-01-28 01:49:07</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/jumbo-pass-wild-and-deep</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/jumbo-pass-wild-and-deep</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Last-minute special for Powder Creek Lodge!]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Last minute offer!  Powder Creek Lodge has 5 spots open for an add-on week Dec 12-19th for only $850 per-person (plus GST, self-guided, self-catered).  A ton of snow already and another 90cm forecast for this week.  Our only openings until 2017.  Contact us at &amp;#39;info@powdercreeklodge.com&amp;#39; for details.

Website:
powdercreeklodge.com

Live Webcam:
http://www.powdercreeklodge.co.....ebcam.html]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-12-06 22:47:05</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/last-minute-special-for-powder-creek-lodge</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/last-minute-special-for-powder-creek-lodge</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Women&#039;s Ski &amp;amp; Yoga Week at Powder Creek]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Women&amp;#39;s Ski &amp;amp; Yoga Week at Powder Creek Lodge
April 16-23, 2016
guided/catered/yoga instructor

Check it out here:
http://www.powdercreeklodge.co....._lodge.jpg]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-11-26 22:25:48</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/womens-ski-yoga-week-at-powder-creek-1</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/womens-ski-yoga-week-at-powder-creek-1</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[Snow in June on Mount Loki]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Loki is a prominent fixture on the East side of Kootenay Lake directly across from Kaslo. With it&amp;rsquo;s Everest looking summit ridge rising head and shoulders above surrounding peaks its dominance is hard to miss. In spring it&amp;rsquo;s a not-so common ski touring objective but with the compressed lack-lustre season we just experienced the opportunity to lay fresh lines down Loki&amp;rsquo;s south-west face were limited to say the least. Even though we awoke to a skiff of snow on the summit of Loki the spring ski season has long been over for this mountain.

(click photos for larger views)
&amp;nbsp;
With the Portman Creek FSR pushed higher in the past few years the ascent of Loki is now within reach of most hikers. Instead of 6,500&amp;rsquo; of climbing you need only ascend 3,900&amp;rsquo; to reach its 9,090&amp;rsquo; summit. While the last few thousand feet are steep (low 4th class scrambling), there&amp;rsquo;s no real exposure. Even 1st-timers can easily conquer their fears after first sighting the intimidating summit ridge from treeline.
Leaving tree line.

&amp;nbsp;
The first look at the summit ridge makes it look more daunting that it actually is.

&amp;nbsp;
In order to get an early start we camped at Garland Bay just a few more clicks up the FSR road that leads out of Riondel where $12 will get you one of the nicest camping spots in the Kootenays (east or west!). After about 3.5 hours of climbing we arrived at the summit of Loki with 360&amp;deg; views of the Purcell Mountains, Kootenay Lake, Kokanee Park and more. Retracing our route back down we cooled off with a more than brisk swim (if you can call running into and out of Kootenay Lake swimming?) dinner and a camp fire.
&amp;nbsp;
Approaching the summit.
&amp;nbsp;
Summit views.

A few words of wisdom for climbing Loki, bring poles if you are not steady on your feet or have knees that have seen more summits than most, and also bring plenty of water as there is none on the trail.
Mount Loki deserves a place on your spring &amp;lsquo;to-do list&amp;rsquo; as the ferry ride across Kooentany Lake will never look the same again. (For all the details on the route up Loki have a look at our Garmin Connect data over here as captured by the Garmin Fenix 3 GPS watch.)

Enjoying the spoils of the summit.
]]></description>
            <pubDate>2015-06-18 10:23:36</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/snow-in-june-on-mount-loki</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/snow-in-june-on-mount-loki</guid>
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            <title><![CDATA[First turns of the season at Monica Meadows Oct 25]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[After much deliberation about where we could seek some ambitiously early turns without imposing rather sketchy October glacier travel or barely covered pointy rocks upon ourselves we settled on Monica Meadows.
We camped under one of the shelters at Glacier Creek Regional Park which served as a great staging area.

Some scraps of snow in the parking lot at 1800m, but not enough to do anything with.


After only 15 minutes or so of carrying skis I dropped them and started skinning. Considering I was on my absurdly giant 170-140-150 x 190cm Fatypus + Fritschi setup this was a rather wonderful moment. Snow was still spotty until about 2200m when we came out into the meadows.



Ok now it feels like winter!


35cm snowpack at 2350m, which on top of the smooth grassy meadows was plenty to lay some turns on.



Skiing. YES!



A photo of some of our handiwork, which under normal conditions would hardly be considered &amp;#39;good&amp;#39;, but man was it wonderful.


After a ski-out down the meadows and a swift bootpack down to the truck it was time for celebratory beers and an eventual soak at Ainsworth on our way back to our very non-wintery homes.
PRAISE ULLR!]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-11-04 23:04:58</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/first-turns-of-the-season-at-monica-meadows-oct-25</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/first-turns-of-the-season-at-monica-meadows-oct-25</guid>
                    </item>
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            <title><![CDATA[Big News from Powder Creek Lodge!]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Hello Powderhounds!&amp;nbsp; Shelley and I are stoked to be taking over the ownership and day-to-day operations of Powder Creek Backcountry Ski &amp;amp; Snowboard Lodge.&amp;nbsp; For those that have been there, you know that Heather and Guus built a first-class operation.&amp;nbsp; Come check out our heli-access, deluxe, alpine lodge in the Western Purcells.&amp;nbsp; The lodge is perched at 7100 feet with panoramic, stunning views in every direction.&amp;nbsp; For adventurous skiers and boarders, we have over 17,000 acres in the tenure, a consistently deep snowpack and a remote backcountry feel.&amp;nbsp; No heli-skiers, sledders or clear cuts around here!&amp;nbsp; Variable terrain options provide something for everyone:&amp;nbsp; short and mellow, natural glades, steep couloirs and three-thousand foot, north-facing runs.&amp;nbsp; Spend a week with your group of 12 with options to add guided and/or catering. &amp;nbsp;Only a couple weeks left for 2015 and already 30% booked for 2016!&amp;nbsp; Staging out of Nelson and Kaslo.

Look forward to skiing and boarding with you!

http://www.powdercreeklodge.com

John &amp;amp; Shelley Peachell
Rossland, BC
 






]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-09-17 11:10:17</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/big-news-from-powder-creek-lodge</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/big-news-from-powder-creek-lodge</guid>
                    </item>
                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Rab Soap Box Comp Prizes]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[

Thank you so much Rab and Backcountry Skiing Canada for the awsome jacket and shirt. I appreciate the effort that went into this competition and I am thankful for the oppertunity to share my expiriences.
Sorry for the delay and the low quality of the pictures.
Thank you,
Wayo]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-06-13 16:18:29</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/rab-soap-box-comp-prizes-1</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/rab-soap-box-comp-prizes-1</guid>
                    </item>
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            <title><![CDATA[McMurdo Hut]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Spent a few days in April at McMurdo Hut enjoying a mix of great weather, good powder, and good friends. Skied off the summit of summit of Cony Peak for a great glacier run back to the cabin. Nothing like getting into the mountains for a few days.


This trip marked my first opportunity to use the LIquid Image goggles/HD video camera since winning them as part of the Soap Box Comp form Backcountry Skiing Canada. I&amp;#39;ve been enjoying making short ski films with my point and shoot camera but have been missing out on and POV footage. The Liquid Image goggles are fantastic. Super clean to use with LED indicators inside the googles that let you know when you are and are not shooting, and what tyep of shoot you are doing (images, 720, 1080). Slick! Thanks a ton to both Backcountry Skiing Canada and Liquid Image for the goggles. I&amp;#39;m looking forward to getting a lot more use out of these goggles on future trips! Check out our film from this trip &amp;ndash; all POV footage from sledding and skiing were shot with the Liquid Image HD goggles.





]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-05-02 00:41:14</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/mcmurdo-hut</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/mcmurdo-hut</guid>
                    </item>
                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Soap Box Comp- Steep &amp;amp; Deep: Finding Paradise In My Backyard]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Steep And Deep:
Finding Paradise In My Backyard
By Pueo Tinglin
&amp;nbsp;
I had always wanted to go snowboarding in Alaska. In all the pro ski and snowboard films that feature Alaska&amp;rsquo;s insane, mountainous terrain, they pay the big bucks for a helicopter ride to the top of the mountain. The helicopter usually then follows them down their run for safety reasons and to get the awesome camera angle. Growing up in the Slocan Valley, I have been spoiled with an abundance of quality snow, but in my mind the &amp;ldquo;extreme&amp;rdquo; snowboarding was done only by movie stars on distant peaks.
Until a few years ago, I had figured that one either had to be a professional snowboarder or a millionaire to access the &amp;ldquo;untracked&amp;rdquo; slopes of the movies. &amp;nbsp;I was in the eighth grade when I first went backcountry skiing with my dad and some friends on Airy, a local mountain in the Valhalla Range of the West Kootenays, tucked behind Frog Peak. For me the outing was in preparation for the Valhalla Wilderness Program (VWP) because much of that program involves backcountry skiing and other self-propelled wilderness travel activities. Being thirteen without any backcountry experience, it was one hell of trek up, but when I finally heaved my snowshoes onto the top of that ridge my entire view of the sport was altered forever. There I was standing at the top of a world class run that could have easily been the set of any of my favorite ski films. It was there, looking out on the ocean of clouds and peaks that I realized that you don&amp;rsquo;t need a helicopter or a fortune to access the best powder in the world, and more importantly, that you don&amp;rsquo;t even have to go to Alaska. The epic lines I had been dreaming of were, literally, right below my feet, and less than an hour&amp;rsquo;s drive from my front door.
I have been snowboarding since kindergarten, but my first few turns of that run were like nothing I had ever skied before. As I dipped the tip of my board into the deep, frozen sea of crystals I was held captive by the raw beauty and intensity of the run I was riding. Each turn felt bottomless, as if I were floating down the mountain on a deep fluff of cloud. From the end of that day onward I knew that Alaska would no longer be at the top of my list and instead I would always have a special place in my heart for the peaks, mountains, and valleys of the Kootaneys.
It&amp;rsquo;s been about four years since I had my first taste of the backcountry and, through the VWP as well as other local connections, I have been able to access much of the our valley&amp;rsquo;s backcountry terrain. Each time I go I enjoy myself even more and I learn a bit more about our local terrain and snowpack. Without even going up to Alaska I already know that our own backyard pow is just as awesome, if not even better.

&amp;nbsp;
-(I do have a photo of me touring up with Frog Peak in the background but unfortunatly I couldn&amp;#39;t upload it for some reason. I hope this doesn&amp;#39;t effect my chances of winning some avalanche equipment because, quite frankly, I need some some avi gear and im tired of having to borrow a peeps, probe, and shovel every time I head into the backcountry.)]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-03-29 13:29:51</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/soap-box-comp-steep-deep-finding-paradise-in-my-backyard</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/soap-box-comp-steep-deep-finding-paradise-in-my-backyard</guid>
                    </item>
                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Forster creek in Dave White Hut]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Thanks to Columbia Valley Hut Society ( CVHS) for the opportunity to stay 4 nights in this hut. Good enough for 3 guys. A lot of snow for a lot of fun behind the hut. Ski and snow the best backcountry ski trip ever for me. Gaspesian peninsula in Qu&amp;eacute;bec is great but that area was amazing.&amp;nbsp;

This place was fantastic. Thank Barry and&amp;nbsp; Nigel for bringing us to this area. Snowmobile ride was fun too.]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-03-28 14:03:00</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/forster-creek-in-dave-white-hut-1</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/forster-creek-in-dave-white-hut-1</guid>
                    </item>
                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Steep And Deep: Finding Paradise In My Backyard]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[





































Steep And Deep:
Finding Paradise In My Backyard
By Pueo Tinglin
&amp;nbsp;
 I had always wanted to go snowboarding in Alaska. In all the pro ski and snowboard films that feature Alaska&amp;rsquo;s insane, mountainous terrain, they pay the big bucks for a helicopter ride to the top of the mountain. The helicopter usually then follows them down their run for safety reasons and to get the awesome camera angle. Growing up in the Slocan Valley, I have been spoiled with an abundance of quality snow, but in my mind the &amp;ldquo;extreme&amp;rdquo; snowboarding was done only by movie stars on distant peaks.
 Until a few years ago, I had figured that one either had to be a professional snowboarder or a millionaire to access the &amp;ldquo;untracked&amp;rdquo; slopes of the movies. &amp;nbsp;I was in the eighth grade when I first went backcountry skiing with my dad and some friends on Airy, a local mountain in the Valhalla Range of the West Kootenays, tucked behind Frog Peak. For me the outing was in preparation for the Valhalla Wilderness Program (VWP) because much of that program involves backcountry skiing and other self-propelled wilderness travel activities. Being thirteen without any backcountry experience, it was one hell of trek up, but when I finally heaved my snowshoes onto the top of that ridge my entire view of the sport was altered forever. There I was standing at the top of a world class run that could have easily been the set of any of my favorite ski films. It was there, looking out on the ocean of clouds and peaks that I realized that you don&amp;rsquo;t need a helicopter or a fortune to access the best powder in the world, and more importantly, that you don&amp;rsquo;t even have to go to Alaska. The epic lines I had been dreaming of were, literally, right below my feet, and less than an hour&amp;rsquo;s drive from my front door.
 I have been snowboarding since kindergarten, but my first few turns of that run were like nothing I had ever skied before. As I dipped the tip of my board into the deep, frozen sea of crystals I was held captive by the raw beauty and intensity of the run I was riding. Each turn felt bottomless, as if I were floating down the mountain on a deep fluff of cloud. From the end of that day onward I knew that Alaska would no longer be at the top of my list and instead I would always have a special place in my heart for the peaks, mountains, and valleys of the Kootaneys.
It&amp;rsquo;s been about four years since I had my first taste of the backcountry and, through the VWP as well as other local connections, I have been able to access much of the our valley&amp;rsquo;s backcountry terrain. Each time I go I enjoy myself even more and I learn a bit more about our local terrain and snowpack. Without even going up to Alaska I already know that our own backyard pow is just as awesome, if not even better.










]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-03-27 21:20:43</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/steep-and-deep-finding-paradise-in-my-backyard</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/steep-and-deep-finding-paradise-in-my-backyard</guid>
                    </item>
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            <title><![CDATA[Mt Heather Epic -SOAP BOX COMP]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Just finished up an epic ski to Heather Mountain in the Dogtooth range. No snowmobiles, just long slogging suffering. Epic, as in it was 13hrs of skins on ski touring.
The night previous we were scratching our heads on what to do. We had  been out around Kicking Horse, and the amount of temp affected snow was  really concerning for ski quality. We couldn&amp;rsquo;t find anything N facing  in the Pass that was at a reasonably high elevation, yet not massive  moraines or glacier. So we decided to go for a mountain I&amp;rsquo;ve wanted to  hit for a while.&amp;nbsp; I knew would be an awful slog, with a pretty nutty approach for self-propelled fools. However, the logging  roads take you to a pretty good elevation, and most aspects you&amp;rsquo;d be  skiing were northerly, and hopefully less affected by the mild  temperatures. So screw it, I was gonna have to ski it sooner or later to cross it off my list, why not now while everything else is super warm and goopy?
The route, uptrack following logging roads and the furthest left path, descent further right and in ravines
 
Got to the &amp;ldquo;trailhead&amp;rdquo; (the gravel depot just west of Quartz) at  6:30am and did a short walk across the highway to the logging road. Then  it was time to slog. My skis worked fine in the sodden snow from  yesterday&amp;rsquo;s rains. Luke&amp;rsquo;s and Dan&amp;rsquo;s, not so much. Luke had massive  balling and Dan a bit of balling, both with tons of topsheet snow  hanging on. Luke was pretty much using the heaviest snowshoes ever over  the entire logging road approach until we got into the valley and drier snow. Dan and I decided there was nothing&amp;nbsp;  we could do and left him to find his own pace. I found the first legit  good snow on a NW aspect at 1650m, with some pillows so I went for a  short skin and ride while Luke caught up.

Dude, where&amp;#39;s my supportive crust!!?

          http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....57bbc0.jpg   
Now we&amp;#39;re getting  somewhere

           http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....dc0680.jpg   
Pow pillows, Dan snapped a second early. I&amp;#39;m about to launch this sucka to a 10-15ft drop. I&amp;#39;m pretty much pro&amp;hellip;

          http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....6c05a2.jpg    
At 10:30, after ten km of logging road we went into the ravine that  leads to Heather Mountain. Once in the ravine we worked our way up  toward the alpine meadows at the base of Heather. Once in the small  valley, snow quality became amazing, just beautiful powder with  relatively good stability. Darted back and forth on either side of the  ravine to avoid the avy path runouts that climb the walls on the  opposite side of the ravine. As I came around one corner, I saw a good 5  or 10 ski tracks all together and I was really disappointed; sledders  could get into the ravine! That would mean most of Heather would be  highmarked all to hell. As I got up further though, I saw the tracks all  heading toward some flags for heli pickup and breathed a sigh of  relief. Just some rich gapers here yesterday to ski some trees, nothing  to worry about.
Finally off logging road and past the powder line (rainline is a depressing word)

              http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....9ba149.jpg



Typical Dogtooth range alpine. Not today, I think

            http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....efbde4.jpg  
The resort is sometimes better than these tracks crowded all together

http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....b3dfbb.jpg
 
As we reached the base of the mountain, the storm picked up and  started dumping harder, and the wind came in strong too. About 3cm of  fresh, cold snow on the all aspects at the base of the mountain at this  point. We decided to head up toward the col and then hopefully up the  East face to get the peak. Once on the moraines, visibility decreased  drastically. We went up to the col, thinking we were at least going to  get close and see if a summit was feasible in such weather. It paid off,  and we could see the ridge splitting the E and NE faces well enough to  climb it. Snow was windpressed, very supportive and no close layers that  we could crack. So up we went, summiting at 4pm. After some high fives  and pictures, it was time to go, as we had one more alpine descent to do  on the way out before it got too dark. &amp;nbsp;We skied the NE face with  30-40cm ski pen on a grippy crust. Good fun, but nothing like the  quality in the valley.
The peak is up in the soup somewhere. This is the uber gnar ~30* NE face

http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....4b6c7f.jpg

We stuck close to the rock band on the left and then along the top of it in a figure &amp;#39;7&amp;#39;, then across to the right after it flattens out on top

http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....199339.jpg

The ants go marching one by one. Try to pick out the blue jacket, did I mention it was wiindy?

http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....58e023.jpg

Beyond the sign is the way gnarlier W face dropping into Beaver Valley and Glacier park. Part of a WPA as far as I know

http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....8c11e3.jpg

Luke skis some pow on the NE face

http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....58bb07.jpg  
Then it was time to go up again and over a ridge to our exit valley.  We were all running on empty, totally beat and trying to get up as fast  as possible to get reasonable light for a safe descent out of the  alpine. Once on the ridge, we got changed over quickly and were happy  with what we felt and cut above a bench. So at 6pm we dropped in to incredible  light snow, 60ish cm ski pen and no bottom. The stoke helped to get  offset our totally beat mental and physical states. But there was no  time to waste, time was wasting and although we were out of the alpine  and not going to have a large accident from dark, there was still good  tree skiing below us that would require light to ski instead of back  down the road all the way.
Not kind light for shooting. We descended the large lookers right pointing chute on the right

http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....4b6c7f.jpg  
The ravine was mostly too benchy to have fun, we needed to traverse  slopes covered with way too much pow (15cm of fresh on this side!) in order to keep our momentum up.  But near the end of it, there was an avy path that feeded into it really  well. It looks as though it had ripped 2-3 days ago, 300m of vert. But  now there was fresh pow in the runout most of the way to the logging  road, and it skied sweet. No pics, too much fun. Plus, not a good place  to stop with the weather raging and temps changing rapidly. Then we went  down the logging road a bit to the next valley&amp;rsquo;s drainage ravine, and  dropped into manky but still fun snow to the next road intersection.  Then down the neverending road back to civilization.
Luke gets faceshots in the ravine

http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....33cc60.jpg

My favourite tractor trailer ever marking the highway. 7:30pm 13 hours of ski

http://i1293.photobucket.com/a.....33c858.jpg
 
Overall, it was an amazing success, routefinding went perfectly  despite the visibility and mostly treed in approaches. We got the  mountain we wanted, safely despite a raging storm, and we were able to  do our second descent safely with a thick, light blanket of top shelf  snow instead of skinning back out of our entrance valley and riding only  logging to the car. A snowmobile would be a huge asset, you could cut  off 2 hours and more importantly a whole ton of effort and trailbreaking, and spend that  instead on the one or two other good descents you can do after the one we did for our second descent. It took us 13 hours to do 25km (not including  switchbacks) and 1900m. If we had globstopper or dry snow down low, we  could easily knock off two hours.
Pumped for the resort tomorrow!]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-03-09 03:04:44</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/mt-heather-epic-soap-box-comp</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/mt-heather-epic-soap-box-comp</guid>
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                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Infernal Howl Soap Box Comp]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[My best days on skis always involve exploration. This was another one of those days. Great weather and a group keen to check out new terrain. We headed up a familiar drainage but pushed to the back where few head for turns. The result was a quality day of touring in the sun. While we didn&amp;#39;t make it to our chosen summit due to an unfriendly ridge, we found a great ski touring sub-summit nearby that provided a satisfying conclusion to the ascent. As with most days out here we ran into... no one.




]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-02-19 22:41:51</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/infernal-howl-soap-box-comp</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/infernal-howl-soap-box-comp</guid>
                    </item>
                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Kimberley Backcountry 2013-2014]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[2013-2014 turned out to be a great year for backcountry skiing the Purcells. Here&amp;#39;s a short recap from the season of touring in the backyard.




]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-02-19 22:30:51</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/kimberley-backcountry-2013-2014</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/kimberley-backcountry-2013-2014</guid>
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                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Mt Aqualung Soap Box Comp]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Another good day touring out of Kimberley. The original goal was to tour up into an area none of us had previously checked out. Unfortunately the access road had seen some heavy washouts in last the flooding last summer and some of the crossing were challenging. After numerous bouts fighting to unstuck sleds one particularly nasty debris slide across the road ended the adventure. Turning tail we headed back to the main valley, fortunately a regular destination, Mt Aqualung, was nearby. As we skinned up the mountain the promise of breaking above the sea of clouds hung just over our heads, but by the time we broke above the valley cloud a high overcast had settled in and hidden the blue from us. Fortunately the skiing was in excellent shape and provided a worthwhile consolation prize. More good Purcell turns!




]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-02-19 22:24:24</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/mt-aqualung-soap-box-comp</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/mt-aqualung-soap-box-comp</guid>
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                <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Lustrous Peak Soap Box Comp]]></title>
            <description><![CDATA[Yet another good adventure ski touring from Kimberley. I don&amp;#39;t usually rally for ski touring once it gets down to -20, but with bomber avi and the promise of blue skies we couldn&amp;#39;t resist the temptation to go for one of those objectives that are only possible when everything comes together. Snow quality turned out to be less than desirable due to a mix of windslab and solar aspects but sometimes that just doesn&amp;#39;t matter. Big views, big mountains and bigger smiles made for a great day!




]]></description>
            <pubDate>2014-02-19 20:45:26</pubDate>
            <link>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/lustrous-peak-soap-box-comp</link>
            <guid>/index.php/forum/bcs/category/purcell-mountains/topic/lustrous-peak-soap-box-comp</guid>
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