(all pics by Lee Lau or Sharon Bader unless otherwise noted)
Mid week pow frenzy happens. We're now a tad more confident in our terrain knowledge so it's time to hit the classic Machine runs.
The LQ terrain is known for long steep treed runs. The Machine is up there in the pantheon of superb fall-line hallways of pillowed pow and today our group collectively got to put in multiple laps followed by closing laps of the Brooms. Tyler earned his keep today as did Simon in the other group. Meanwhile we feasted on not just pow but more food as we waited for the much anticipated incoming warm storm
Off to Machine Ridge - Wind wasn't helping the alpine but didn't hurt snow transport to the lee slopes
Shar starts off with our task of gutting laps of the Machine
Tyler finishing the turn
image Dermott McHugh - Tyler failing to cut me off from my line
Beautiful forest to skin up for more laps
Sharon repeating
Tyler N
Jim lost in the pow
Tyler H
Tyler N
Beer-run back to the lodge
This season's snowpack is spooky with several buried weak layers. We had been pretty lucky earlier in the week steadily building confidence as changes in snow, temps and weather had been slower and gradual giving us the opportunity to step out into more aggressive terrain.
Day 6 things changed as temps spiked. We got a Goretex workout as new snow fell laying an upside down snowpack with denser snow lying over a lighter layer. Skiing started getting challenging but we considered ourselves lucky to avoid the dreaded pineapple as the relatively high elevation hut location allowed us to get 250m laps of the Brooms
Lodge stayed at -2 most of the night peaking at -1 during the day. Neighbouring lodges geared up to ski in the rain so we counted ourselves lucky
Lance working the big tips
As the day wore on temps climbed. While still below freezing the density layer was leading to a higher probability of blowing a knee
Nico and Remi making the best of the storm and getting in their sauna time as the last of the group returns
Tyler and Simon wondering just how much slab was building and where to go next
Peter unloading mini-slider appies on us
Food!
More things changed on the evening of our 6th day and stability went to pot for Day 7. Winds picked up and swirled from the SE while temps increased. The resulting wind slab triggered easily on sheltered surface hoar. Several whumpf settlements early in the day set the tone, restricting us to lower angled yoyos close to the lodge. But at least we got to ski above the rain and in decent snow.
Lots of sauna, lots of food and lots of pow. Thanks to Tyler and Simon for getting us the goods. Thanks to Peter for the magnificent food. Thanks to Steve for keeping the sauna stoked and lodge spic and span and things dialled. Last but not least, thanks to Shelly and Martin for the awesomeness that is the Valkyr Mountain Lodge terrain
The rubber chicken is Peter's dinner bell
Simon
Tyler N
Tyler and Jim. Pretty special when son and Dad get to ski-tour together and shred
Our Group (top then bottom - L to R)
Steve our custodian, Simon (Guide), Tyler N, Jim, Sharon, Lance, Remi, Mark, Tyler Higgins (Guide), Misha, Dom, Dermot, Nicolas, Lee, Amelie, Peter (cook)
