Around mid-December, I saw Intro to Backcountry Skiing trip posted by Steve Yun on BC Mountaineering Club (BCMC) for January 8. The timing was perfect, so I signed up for this trip even though I was still putting together my backcountry setup.
Over the next two weeks, I made a few trips with Oudi to Mount Seymour. These trips helped me understand the gear settings and basic backcountry skiing skills. I felt more prepared for the Intro to Backcountry Skiing trip with BCMC.
Territory Acknowledgement
I would like to acknowledge that this trip took place on the unceded territory of the Coast Salish peoples, including the territories of the St’át’imc (Stat-lee-um), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Líl̓wat Nations. I commit to learning about Indigenous peoples and issues and making reconciliation an ongoing effort.
Source: Native-Land Pronunciation Guide: First-Nations.info
Whistler Olympic Park
Initially, the plan was to go to Manning Park, but Steve found out that the traffic would be terrible and changed location to Puma South Peak. We would be accessing the trail from Whistler Olympic Park in Callaghan Valley, which hosted Nordic events as part of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
It was close to 9 am when we parked at the Biathlon parking lot. It was a busy day, and soon the parking lot was full. Trip organizers – Steve, Chris and Wayne did a quick gear check, walked us through the plan for the day and shared some safety tips.
Soon we were on our way and skinned past the Biathlon building along the Neverland cross country skiing trail. I had not heard of biathlon sport before. It is a combination of cross country skiers and rifle shooting. Few athletes were carrying their rifles, and they could shoot a target the size of a golf ball from 50 m. We tried to stay clear of their trails.
About 20 minutes later, we found the trail.
Beverley Creek Winter Trail
The initial section of the trail was downhill, and we were skiing down short sections in skin mode. I probably fell four times while covering 200 m with a 40 m drop. It was going to be a long day.
We were back on a cross-country ski trail named Madeley Creek Loop and followed it for 400 m. Then we turned north and got on the Beverley Creek Winter Trail.
Steve Yun led the group, breaking trail across the slope. Occasionally we stopped to check directions, and Chris and Wayne took turns leading the group.
About two hours into the trip, we reached a frozen lake. Chris probed with his poles and could feel the water below layers of snow, no ice.
One of the best tips I got was from Chris, who demonstrated how to glide the skis forward by engaging the hip flexors. I had heard about not lifting skis and gliding before, but the way he demonstrated it helped me understand the technique.
Puma South Peak Trail
We continued on Beverley Creek Winter Trail past the lake but then retraced our steps and headed north on Puma South Peak trail.
This trail had much steeper sections than the terrain we had covered so far. Here again, tips from Oudi (from previous trips) and Chris helped me find a better stance.
Around noon, we took a lunch break and did a quick time check as we had to be back at the parking lot before 4:30 pm. After a long break, we continued for another 30 minutes and reached a high point at around 1150 m.
It had been more than three hours since we left the parking lot, and we had barely covered 4.5 km with 330 m elevation gain. Some of us would need more time going down, so Steve and Chris decided to turn around with the five of us. Wayne carried on with the rest of the group.
Embrace the Pow!
It took us about 20 minutes for all of us to transition from skin to ski mode. Chris went down the first slope and waited for us while Steve shared some tips. As some of us hesitated, quotes like “Let it go,” “Go get it,” and “Embrace the Pow” followed.
We embraced the pow alright, stumbling down the slope in our unique style. Finally, after 20 minutes, we were just 100 m away from our highest point. Then, Chris announced, “Turn #1.” As he saw us crashing into the trees and each other, he suggested focusing on the run rather than the obstacles.
I embraced Steve’s “Be Aggressive” (lean forward) tip and felt more confident skiing down on subsequent turns. I was now looking forward to sections where I could ski.
Around 3 pm, a friend took a bad fall and couldn’t ski due to knee instability. Chris went ahead and called the snow patrol once he reached the cross-country skiing trail. Steve and Wayne helped carry the backpack and skis.
Finally, a few of us arrived at the parking lot by 4:30 pm. Given the delay, Snow patrol helped another skier get back to the parking lot. It was past 5 pm when we started our drive back to Vancouver. Heavy traffic and bad weather/road conditions added another hour to the commute, and I got home by 8 pm.
In total, it had taken us about seven hours to cover a distance of less than 9 km (out and back) with about 430 m vertical. It was my longest day of backcountry skiing, and it was a beautiful day to be out learning some new skills.
Thanks to Steve, Chris and Wayne for organizing the trip. They did a great job communicating the plan, sharing tips on safety, technique and gear, and most importantly, keeping us safe while we stumbled along the Puma Peak South trail.
Resources:
Backcountry Basics: G3 University | REI Beginner’s Guide
Avalanche Canada – Forecast | Avy Savvy – Online Avalanche Tutorial | Recorded Webinars
Weather Forecast – SpotWx | Yr.No
AdventureSmart – Trip Planning
If you are in Lower Mainland, check out British Columbia Mountaineering Club (BCMC) for trips and courses.
Disclosure: The links I have shared in the post and under the Resources section are not Affiliate Links.
Did you enjoy reading this post? Please subscribe to get weekly updates. Please share your feedback in the comments section below. Thank you!
Great to see you venturing into a new sport! All the very best and I am sure that with your single minded devotion and focus you will soon be mastering the techniques and going to places non-skiers like me dread going!