Another Day, Another Fluff Pile at Valhalla Mountain Touring and Lodge

by Louie Dawson
written by Louie Dawson

I’ve been having a blast skiing this week at Valhalla Mountain Touring. Every day is the new best day of the season. Here are a few photos from the Valhalla pow fest of the past few days.

Can you find the skier? Click all images to enlarge.

Breaking trail through deep powder. This seems to be a recurring theme.

With all the new snow, caution is important. Tyler ski cutting the top of a steep, convex run.

VMT owner, Evan, on the job.

Hiking back to Valhalla's lodge after a long day.

Now this wouldn’t be wildsnow without a bit of gear nerding. The snow up here is deep and requires fatties. It seems the lodge population here at Valhalla Mountain Touring has quite a quiver of skis and boards, most of the wider persuasion. Check them out.

Lined up and ready to go at this ski touring lodge in Canada.

Lined up and ready to go at this ski touring lodge in Canada.

Here’s the list, fat skis and Dynafits dominate:

K2 Coomback + Dynafit (Coomback should get more awards.)
2x K2 Gotback + Dynafit (Coomback for women, it should get more awards.)
2x Prior Husume + Dynafit
3x Dynafit Manaslu + Dynafit (A bit skinny for around here, but getting used.)
Black Diamond Megawatt + Dynafit (These are the program.)
Black Diamond Justice + Dynafit (Perfect for Selkirk human powered.)
Dynastar Cham 107 + Plum (They do look pretty.)
Dynastar Cham 127 + Atomic Tracker (brought along for resistance training)
Volkl Nunataq + Dynafit (Full rocker to the foot, perfect.)
DPS Wailer 99 + Dynafit (Lou’s says the tingle runs up his legs.)
4Frnt Hoji + Dynafit (Hip.)
2x Nordica La Nina + Marker Tour (We can only ask, why?)
Volkl Gotama + Marker Duke (Classic.)
K2 Obsethed + Alpine Bindings (The snow cat awaits.)
Jones Women’s Solution + Karakorum (Snowboards. Perfect for this place.)
Burton Freebird + Spark R&D
Burton S-series + Spark R&D

Oh, can’t forget, if you’re looking for the folks who run our lodge here at Valhalla, this be the link.

11 comments
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

11 comments

Evan December 21, 2012 - 9:12 am

One day maybe you will come back when the sun comes out, but it just seems to snow so much the last few years! It would be an entirely different trip then deep pow storm/tree skiing.

Gringo December 21, 2012 - 9:39 am

Lou,
Looks like you picked the right place to ride out the apocolypse.
And if its a slow apocolypse, one with a slowly descending nuclear winter that lasts for eternity and turns Earth into Hoth, it looks like you got a quiver that can handle it as well.

Happy holidays and thanks for the cool blog,
Gringo

Morroi December 21, 2012 - 2:38 pm

Care to enlighten us on the boots that have been dominating these fatties?
Great reading as usual!!
Morroi

Lou Dawson December 21, 2012 - 4:14 pm

Thanks Gringo, appreciate your voice here. Have a super Christmas!

Patrick December 21, 2012 - 4:32 pm

Glad you’re having such fun in the Valhallas. When you use the term *fatties* in the Slocan, you may confuse some locals.
Ideally, I’d have a quiver of one. How are the Gotamas in Selkirk pow? How are Gortamas for front-country skiing? Would tech bindings perform in front-country conditions? I’m 67, 5’11”, 190 pounds and my skiing is smooth (I’m not pounding the slopes).

kevin b. December 21, 2012 - 5:07 pm

Lou,
Have you read the really extensive article published today or yesterday on the NY Times web about the tragic and deadly avalanche at Tunnel Creek. Its the most thorough and heartbreaking narrative analysis of the obj and subj dangers of BC skiing I’ve ever read. If you have read it, I think many would be interested in your and the wild snow communities response. Maybe a new thread.

kevin b. December 21, 2012 - 5:18 pm

Follow up to above post:
The title of article written by John Branch is, ‘Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek.’

Sorry, all I have is the mobile link.

http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/12/21/sports/snow-fall-the-avalanche-at-tunnel-creek.xml?f=19

Lou Dawson December 21, 2012 - 6:09 pm

Hi Kevin, I’ve indeed been tracking that. Thanks for bringing it up. Read first part then had a bandwidth fade up here at the hut, will check it soon. Looked very professional.

Lou Dawson December 21, 2012 - 6:12 pm

Patrick, Louie and the other guys here just did 8,500 vertical feet of human powered ripping skiing, mostly on tech bindings. I wouldn’t be concerned. Lou

Scott Nelson December 21, 2012 - 6:32 pm

What a trip! And what a cool place to spend Christmas. Envious.

And a link to the really well written NY Times article:

http://www.nytimes.com/projects/2012/snow-fall/#/?part=tunnel-creek

Be safe.

Mark W December 24, 2012 - 7:35 am

Gorgeous place, fantastic snow! Merry Christmas and enjoy the Selkirk smoke.

Comments are closed.