I absent mindedly left my camera in the car for this past trip, and while I usually find photography adds to my experience, it was a pleasant change to be entirely focused on the here and now. I took this pic of our descent route (the green line) on Mt Seaman, in very similar conditions, sometime last year.
Andrew, Jordy and I spent Friday hauling in a 20lb propane bottle (there is no easy technique), 10lt of kerosene, 3lt of bleach, a 40ft tarp, and other assorted supplies into the Yurtopia yurts at Wildhorse. After shovelling off the yurts, exhausted, we feasted, drank, and slept like the dead.
Saturday was the pay-off, sunny and mild, stable conditions, and three spectacular untracked peaks on which to make our mark. We summited and skied off Ketuttle, then Seaman, then two off Qua’s ridge. Easy travelling, smooth turns, endless views …. happy to be alive and skiing in the Kootenays.
We timed our pick-up with the cat-skiing group perfectly, squeezing in for a few runs, a wild sled-tow down the access road, and beers in the always friendly and funky Ymir Hotel.
kootenayskier 