Report from January 8, 2023

We got out at about 10am today, which is only 1 hour after sunrise here right now.

-5ºF with no wind.

We decided to go uphill from the hut and sniff out some above-treeline pillows.

The sun miraculously came out despite all the forecasts that forbade it.

The closest pillows from the hut were beaming in reflected photons.

We ascended in deep, crystalline, powder snow.

Ollie & Greggy went first and were joy-screaming at the base of the run in the sunshine.

I went third and my double drop into pillow runout was challenging and obnoxiously fun.

Kyle went 4th and skied a rowdy variation.

Our team reassembled and we went to the next set of pillows as they were in the light and the sun had already set our first zone at only 10:30am.

We cruised up wide-eyed.

The zone looked big and intimidating with large drops and techy skiing.

I dropped first and everything was about a third the size we’d all thought.

We’d be duped by the perspective.

The big tree in the middle we were using for scale was a mere bush…

We went back up and charged harder lines and had a hoot knocking all the pillows down and crashing all over the place.

From there we did a pure powder lap next to the pillows with smiles on our faces.

Back up the same zone one more time with the goal of skirting further up valley to yet another pillow zone.

As I traversed the ridge I found a straightforward chute that dropped to the north.

We’d never entered this next forbidden valley and we simply couldn’t resist.

We dropped in through a narrow notch that opened up into a frequently avalanched chute with some ski-hungry rocks.

A large tower to the skier’s right sported 3 baby pine trees on its summit making it appear as both a taker and giver of life.

The snow was blower on top of old, textured avalanche debris.

Every turn was an explosion.

We glided to a stop in the unknown valley and grinned.

The skinner up valley and over the col back home was a beast.

Deep snow, breaking trail, shedding a layer.

We made it to the col about 4:15pm and it was getting harder and harder to see.

I skied down first using the brail skiing technique.

We luckily hit the skin track of some of our buddies on the trip and it guided us smoothly and easily straight home.

Today was one of the most fun and most varied ski days I’ve ever had in British Columbia.

Feeling very grateful today.

Thanks, BC!

Photos