Last day at RMR..

I love watching my children progress through the ski season. To watch their skills and confidences grow. At times it is excasperating to feel that I am forcing them to go skiing, but once we are on the slopes they are usually all smiles. But yesterday was the perfect season finisher at Revelstoke Mountain Resort. Warm calm spring day, soft corn snow, just perfect. As a family we did one run off the Stoke and then we went to climb the sub-peak. I have brought both kids up here before but this was the first time that they each climbed the 400 ft to the top. It was fantastic to watch them, determined and happy they both struggled up the boot pack, finally we reached the top.

Obviously as a father I would hope that my kids follow my passion in the mountains, and to watch them both excited and driven by the challenge was all I need.

Anyhow enough sentimental father stuff what about ski missions?

Around seven years ago I went on this huge solo day around Mulvahill massif. It was an amazing day that I have always wanted to share with people but knew that most people do not want to suffer the approach. It makes sense, 5000 ft up Begbie, down and through some undulating annoying suncrusted terrain, back up and along a long ridge and finally after 8000 ft of touring you are standing on the first peak. The first of five…

Yesterday I started biking at 4 am and biked to the Begbie parking lot, I left my bike in the ditch and started up Begbie. While I climbed and worked my way around to the first peak Joey and Dave shuttled their vehicle to Mulvahill creek, while passing my bike they picked it up and brought it with them. Then they drove back to the Baguette coffee shop and enjoyed some coffee. A round 9 am they got to Arrow helicopters hanger and boarded the helicopter. Five of them where flown to the summit of Mulvahill, Joey, Danyelle, Bruno, Dave and Kelsey.

By then I was a few km away and watched them land, I managed to get to the top of the first peak to watch Joey snowboard down. I then skied down a narrow ridge connecting the peaks and climbed to the highest summit. Finally after 8000 ft of touring I got some great powder skiing down to the group. Then for the next 6 hours we skied together, summitting 3 other peaks and finishing off with a wild 5000 foot tongue to the valley. The terrain in this area is so glaciated that every zone we toured through was gorgeous and tantalizing to ski through.I could not remember the exit and as we skied out it slowly dawned on me. It was six km of arduous up and down, around, across, back up and over and finally boot packing up and out.
Finally back at the car….ooops bike…by 6:30 and biking home. 20 odd kms later I was home..wow… I am still recovering… I estimate it to be around 35 km of biking, 35 km of touring, total of over 13 000 ft of touring and five summits…and 16 hrs of action.

Here is an approximate line of my adventures that day.

Big thanks to Bruno Long for these blog photos. brunolongphotography.com