Skiing trips

The sort of skiing were talking about here is free from crowded slopes, stuffy lodges, hot neon body suits, obnoxious ski school kids, and of course lifts. Just think of it as skiing the old fashioned way, before some lazy kook decided he needed a machine to get up the hill.

Avalanches

Every year backcountry skiers and killed by avalanches in BC. Don't be the next one. Most of the trips listed below involve travelling in avalanche terrain. It is essential that your party have the skills to assess snowpack stability, travel safely in avalanche terrain and perform an avalanche rescue. The basics are best learned through a 2 day introductory recreational avalanche course. The VOC arranges one of these every year, and they are also offered by most winter guiding outfits. Also, check out the avalanche resources available on the web links page

Some good areas for daytrips

• Diamond Head
• Mount Sproatt near Whistler
• Mount Rohr 1 or 2 days, off the Duffey Lake Road
• Cayoosh Mountain 1 or 2 days, off the Duffey Lake Road
• Needle Peak 1 or 2 days, at the Coquihalla summit
• Zoa Peak at the Coquihalla summit
• 3 Brothers Mountain in Manning Park
• Mount Harvey from Lion's Bay
• Mount Baker touring from the downhill ski area
• Mount Laughington 1 or 2 days

Weekend trips

• Rainbow Mountain near Whistler
• Caspar Creek off the Duffey Lake Road
• Steep Creek off the Duffey lake Road
• Mount Baker 1 day ski ascent in Spring, weekend or longer mid winter
• Black Tusk
• Cayoosh Mountain
• Ipsoot Mountain

Huts

A lot of backcountry skiing in the coast range revolves around going to huts. Some good huts to visit for backcountry skiing are:

• Brian Waddington Hut in Phelix Creek
• Burton Hut at Garibaldi Lake, Garibaldi Park
• Keith's Hut in Cerise Creek, Duffey Lake Road
• Wendy Thompson Hut in Marriot Basin, Duffey Lake Road
• Elfin Lakes Shelter at Diamond Head, Garibaldi Park
• Himmelsbach Hut at Russet Lake, Garibldi Park
• Brew Hut

Ski Traverses

Like most things in life, ski traverses come in large and small variations. Some can be done over a weekend, others may take a month or more.

• Garibaldi Neve Traverse usually takes 2-4 days.
• Spearhead Traverse usually takes 2-5 days.
• Ashlu - Elaho Divide Traverse usually 2-5 days
• Bridge - Lillooet Divide Traverse 4-7 days
• Shulaps Range

Trips to and traverses of big icefields are usually reserved for the spring, but sometimes undertaken mid winter. The following have been done by club members in recent years.

• Pemberton Icefield 1 week
• Waddington Icefield 2-3 weeks
• Lillooet Icefield 2 weeks
• Monarch Icefield 2 weeks
• Misty Icefield

Heli Skiing

Most of the Heli Skiing companies around here try to avoid conflicts with backcountry skiers. It helps if you call them in advance and tell them where you are going so they can plan ahead to go somewhere else that day.

• Whistler Heli Skiing Office: 604.932.4105 or toll free 1-888-435-4754: Rainbow Mountain, Spearhead Range, Ipsoot, Brandywine, South Creek, Mt Sampson, Tenquille Lake, Noel Creek & Lone Goat Creek
• Coast Range Heli Skiing 604.894.1144 or toll free 1.800.701.8744: North Joffre Creek, Place Glacier, Van Horlick Creek, Blowdown Creek
• Blackcomb Helicopters 604.938.1700 or 1.800.330.4354
• Tyax Heli Skiing 604.932.7007 or toll free 1.800.663.8126: Spearhead Range, Ipsoot, Powder Mountain, Mt. Fee, Hurley River
• TLH Heliskiing 250-558-5379 or toll free 1.800.667.4854: Slim Creek, Gunn Creek, Lillooet Icefield, South Chilcotin Mountains.