BC Trip Report (better late than never I guess)
British Columbia… Land of RAIN and Australians
January 18th 2005 - January 29th 2005
This is my attempt at a quasi-proper trip report….
We arrived in Whistler with high spirits and duty free liquor. We left with heavy hearts, wet feet, and far fewer brain cells. Whistler isn’t even worth mentioning in this TR, but because we spent 6 days there I guess I will have to mention it. Most of our time was spent indoors in a converted crack house called the shoestring (thanks for your recommendation), while the rooms weren’t the best, the people and the views (of the boot) made it worthwhile. After spending the first couple days in a drunken stupor we ventured up the hill with a few Aussies we met. Not much to speak of, mostly rain, but some fresh WET snow off jersey cream and solar coaster (nothing higher was open). On Friday 4 days after our arrival the forecast showed a break between pineapples and there were whispers of 7th heaven and the peak opening. So the plan was to go home and stay relatively sober for a night, (that was a joke). After finally waking up around 9 and making it to 7th heaven by 10 we were greeted with a 5 minute lift line, over cast skies and of all things FRESH SNOW. Apparently the lift had only been open for 15 minutes, and there were freshies abound, boot deep and wet once away from the top, but hopeful none the less. After a couple laps on 7th heaven the lift lines were ridiculously long so we headed over to the peak chair on Whistler and made some laps in poor visibility with marginal snow. The next 3 days were rain, rain, and more rain. Other than some strippers inviting us into their room and doing coke off the table while their little kids sat in the corner, and a bungee jumping adventure there was nothing much to write home about.
So finally we decided to leave and we got a ride with a British/Canadian guy to kicking horse. For those of you who have never heard of kicking horse, it because it is in the middle of nowhere, in a little town called golden. Aside from the desolate night life and alarming number of rednecks the town was pretty cool. And the mountain was actually awesome. A good amount of vertical (about the same as JH) and 3 nice sized bowls with easy hikes to nice lines. The only complaint was the lack of lifts, if you leave the main bowl you have to go the entire 4000 feet down to the bottom to get the gondola back up again, which wouldn’t be so bad if the snow didn’t suck so much at lower elevations. Most of our time was spent doing laps on the ridge under the 7th heaven chair. We also got in a few good runs on the terminator ridge and “white wall” (I think that’s what it is called), however the ski-out from white wall was hell, giant death cookies and rock hard avy debris. The weather was nice, partly cloudy skies and light to clam winds. I was able to get the camera out and take some pictures so I will stop boring you with words…
White Wall, some nice lines once they opened it...
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...tid=4155&stc=1
An Avy they triggered on the ridge...
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...tid=4154&stc=1
A view...
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...tid=4156&stc=1
My attempt at one of those cool pictures you guys take all the time, but alas flat light hates me. (This is the chute on the right had side coming off the gondola, before the traverse if anyone knows its name)
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...tid=4157&stc=1
That british canadian guy that gave us a ride
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/a...tid=4158&stc=1
