Another season lays before us and excitement is building amongst the ranks of skiers in the coast range. As always, the most experienced skiers are waiting for more coverage, preferring intact bones and long seasons to that early season lap. The house of youth have been out for weeks already, lighting the slopes on fire and living the dream, the thought of a rogue stump or barely hidden rock as distant in their minds as an RRSP or getting enough fiber in their diets.
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| Early season at Pauls Ridge.. |
I am somewhere in the middle, mostly because I just can't help myself once the snow starts to stick in the alpine. I imagine un-tracked alpine fetches, hidden basins, old growth up tracks and laughs with friends over Bengal Spice tea...its just TOO MUCH fun! However, I do know that a later start means more stoke for me in April and May when the hills are alive with possibilities, the days long and its really 'game on' time in these beloved peaks of ours ..
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| One week later, Pauls Ridge again. Very different and nicely pressed coastal pow for us all to enjoy..5 laps as it was just soo tasty. |
It has not always been that way, I am a walking/talking contradiction for sure. I've hiked for turns in Sept, walked for hours to ski a boney glacier in October and most things in between...likely I will continue to do so..!
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| Never get tired of this view, on the way back from Pauls... |
The last few weeks Ive managed a few memorable days in the hills, I'll let the pictures do some of the talking for a change. :-)
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| Hiking up Automan, South of Cayoosh Peak...the reason for this unconventional approach was to ski the amazing "burnt tree's" run on the N facing side of the unnamed peak that houses the run.. |
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| I thought this zone would get some loading off of Cayoosh making for an early season success story, this time I happened to be right! Even a broken clock is right twice a day.. |
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| Hiking out of burnt trees... |
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| More Pauls ridge.. Picture courtesy MAC. |
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| Yet more burnt trees...picture courtesy MAC. |
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| Sliding on snow, just so damn fun. |
Enjoy those early season turns, the stumps will dissapear and soon the 'coastal meters' will cover the landscape. I am working for the next few days while also trying to think of serious reasons to not buy a snowmobile...
Cheers!
Ross
