It’s been a while since I’ve put “pen to paper”, so to speak. Since January a lot has happened. I spent time in Revelstoke Heli skiing, I ski toured a number of trips, I’ve gone sea kayaking, hiked a stretch of the west coast of Vancouver Island solo and spent countless hours working out, learning and training to be as fast, and hard to kill in the mountains, as possible.
I figured it was about time to retell some of the stories from my adventures into the wild.
Starting with my Revelstoke trip.
Start of February, a new month to a fresh new year. In the back of my mind, for a long time I’ve had a drive to go to Revelstoke. Probably a combination of wanting to get out of the house (and away from the parents), as well as a desire for a new adventure.
Revelstoke has a fantastic new(ish) ski resort. With the recent expansion of lifts I definitely prefer it to Whistler. The terrain isn’t for beginners, this suits me very much and keeps tourist numbers down. There is no terrain park, I’m not against the parks, but I don’t ever use them, so not having one keeps tourist numbers down. It also means most local skiers are geared towards being big mountain skiers like me. Like Whistler, there is fierce competition, skiers there are good, you might not know them, but when you see them from the lifts, you know you’ve got to step up your game. The climate is cooler, so you often have more snow going all the way to the valley, combine that with huge vertical and you have really long powder runs. Which brings me to the snow, they don’t get dumps quite as big as Whistler but they do get a very large number of powder days and a large base. When the snow does fall, it’s often much lighter and very very enjoyable.
Best of all though, the crowds. There are barely every any. The numbers are growing as people drive from Kamloops and Calgary, but even on a powder day when there is a long line up in the morning, by the time everyone is on the mountain, most often you won’t have to wait more than 5 min to take the chair up.
Most of all though, my reason for choosing Revelstoke was my desire to be a ski guide.
In the back of a voice has been nagging at me, telling me that I shouldn’t stab a second try at engineering. It’s been telling me that I need the freedom of skiing everyday, that I can’t work an office job. At least, not without remorse.
In Revelstoke lives the Dushesne family who happen to be very long time friends with out family. I had a place to stay and on top of that, a place to stay with a ski guide who happens to manage the Gothics CMH Heli skiing lodge. I wanted to step into their lifestyle for a short period of time and see if it was something I wanted.
So at the start of the new month, I packed a small bag, grabbed my skis and put out my thumb. I was going to Revelstoke and by means of hitchhiking.
It took half an hour before I got picked up. He was a skier. I would later notice that my skis and ski boots (combined with a smile) got me the vast majority of my rides. We stuffed my gear next to his skis and snowboard in his small car. Next to his books on mountaineering were bags filled with other backcountry gear. I liked him already and apparently, he felt the same about me. As soon as I sat down he offered me a beer. We didn’t talk too much at first but it didn’t take me long to strike up a conversation about skiing. He was from up north in Smithers, BC and was skiing with friends.
We drove along the Duffey lake road for a few hours. His overloaded car was too low to the ground and it hit a number of fist sized rocks. At one point he swerved to avoid a bigger one but ended up hitting it with his tire. I hit the ceiling of the car hard and he hit the brakes, got out and checked his rim and tire for damage. Thankfully, it was fine and we weren’t stranded. Not far from Cache Creek, he dropped me off and turned north towards Prince George. When I refused another beer left me with a coke. I I drank it while I waited for another ride to put me in Cache Creek. After some waiting, an older Native man doing a garbage run picked me up. He didn’t talk much at first but told me he usually never picks up hitchhikers but said I looked friendly. Turns out he worked at the quarry near Marble Lake for 40 years and was quite upset about being forced to retire. We arrived in Cache creek and he pulled in at the liquor store and dropped me off.
I walked over to the turn off for Kamloops and waited. Some cars passed and one SUV passed me. I read somewhere that eye contact with the driver helps your chances. Normally I can’t see through the windshield do to glare but I caught the woman directly in the eyes with a smile. She drove on and I also remembered reading that women pick up hitchhikers a lot less than men. I waited for another 5 minutes before the SUV came back, did a U-turn and pulled over. She got out and asked me where I was going. I said Kamloops and she asked “You’re not going to stick me up are you?” she asked with a smile, “You’d be my 3rd victim” I replied. She laughed and I got in. She told me that she doesn’t usually pick hitchhikers up either but saw my skis and convinced herself to turn around. I talked about how hitchhikers are just as, if not more, vulnerable than the driver. We’re travelling in a foreign environment stepping into a fast moving piece of metal at the hands of someone you don’t know. We ended up talking a lot, she told me about her daughter and son and how she was going to ski at sun peaks with some girlfriends. She was by far the nicest of my rides. She dropped me off at TRU. I went to Mcdonalds and ate a lunch I packed on a table outside in the sun. A woman I smiled at stopped to ask me where I was going and when I said Revelstoke, was just shocked that I would hitchhike alone that far. I didn’t understand. I should have taken that as a sign that people in Kamloops don’t pick up hitchhikers. Why should they? There had been a recent murder where someone drunk had crashed their car, got picked up and killed the driver and stole his car.
I did get one more ride. From near Thompson Rivers University, I got picked up on a ramp leading to the Trans Canada. He was in his mid 20’s, had a big pick up and liked his metal. From a conversation over the phone with his girlfriend, he sounded like super nice guy but there wasn’t much chat and the ride didn’t last long. I walked to a nice shoulder on the trans canada with plenty of room for cars to pull over and I stood there smiling with my thumb out for a long time.
Three and a half hours of waiting later. Countless cars drove past. I had my sign saying Revelstoke but still, none pulled over. Even more frustrating was the number of empty cars. Eighty percent of the cars were 5-7 seaters with 1 driver. At one point a loaded van with skis on the top whooped and waved at me. They were going to Revelstoke without me, those bastards.
I didn’t have much daylight left and it was turning to freezing rain so after weighing my options, I decided to catch the transit back into downtown. I made it to the greyhound stop and waited another 4 hours for the bus. After getting on the bus, it was nice to be able to relax and sleep for the 5 hour ride. I arrived at dark and got picked up. Excitement seized me as there was powder in the forecast. Not only that the snowbanks in town were astounding, it’s more snow than they’ve had in years. I planned my arrival perfectly.
I spent the next 6 days skiing, snowshoeing and having a fabulous time. I helped the kids with their homework, did dishes, moved firewood, shovelled snow, and went to see a the funniest play ever, Ski Bum the musical. Overall felt like part of the family. In the winter, the whole family’s life revolves around skiing and the mountains, to them it’s a lifestyle. It’s a lifestyle I share, but not one my family shares as passionately. They live a 2 minute drive from the ski resort on random days zip over for a few runs even if they only have an hour.
I really enjoyed my stay, and the skiing was fabulous with many consecutive powder days. Some days I skied alone, some days with people I met on the mountain and some days with the family. On those days, every time we were in the lift line or in the lodge, I was introduced to a new friend. Almost always it was a guide or a guide’s wife. One such wife was 8 months pregnant and had come out for a few mellow laps after work.
On the night of day six, my hard work around the house had paid off. I was offered to work up in the Heli lodge for a week. In return I’d get to heli ski. Let me consider that offer… Umm yes please! And so it was, I got to spend a week in paradise away in a lodge north in the mountains. I got a small laundry cupboard and I couldn’t be happier that they could fit me in despite being full of staff and guest. I was later reinstated to a proper room but was kind of reluctant to leave my cozy room.
I got to shovelling, as that was my official position, “shoveler of snow”. It wasn’t long before I was taken out skiing. I’m smitten. The group of us huddled together as the helicopter hovered above sending snow flying. They’re noisy, have bad emissions but they get you to the top of peaks so fast.
It’s glorious to watch the world fly beneath you. Not like a plane, the helicopter wizzed over peaks tilts and dives and although you can barely feel it, the horizon is no longer perpendicular.
Don’t even get me started on the actual skiing. Gladed trees, big bowls, all kinds of terrain with endless powder. Often it’s hard to even breathe for all the snow flying at your face.
So for 7 days I shovelled hoards of snow, ate luxurious dinner, heli skied and met guests who were all super happy to be on vacation, all the staff were fun and you get to live in the middle of nowhere amidst large mountains. I was in heaven.
In the end I shovelled so much snow that I became a paid employee. And as I bussed home, I left Revelstoke both satisfied and wanting more. Indulging in the guiding lifestyle at the Gothics as well as experiencing the lifestyle at home of a guide, it helped push forward that voice in the back of my head.
I’ve decided against all logic to listen to the voice that is passion and become a guide.
I hope to be working at the Gothics all winter for the 2011-2012 season while I work on my guiding courses because my short time spent has truly hooked me.
