A lot of skiable terrain around here.

East side of Face Mtn.

Face Mountain.

East Ridge of Samson.

N.W. face of Matier just was our original objective.

Me and Matier.

Australian Couloir on Joffre, nice tracks down!

A-Ron wanted to try out his new tent.

2 Thumbs up for that corn snow glacier run.

Me crossing the river.

Arons face before.

Posing in happier times

Lobster Boy will have a hard time chatting up the ladies with this face.

Wells Gray Park Canada

I went skiing for a week in Wells Gray Park, BC in the Cariboo range. Mike had gone last year and said it was great so he and I and two other buddies, Pepo and Rudi joined up with another previously booked group. Owner and head guide Ian and tail gunner guide Tim completed the group. Check out his website here http://www.skihike.com/WINTER.html The weather was perfect, maybe a little too perfect when it got too hot and the snow was pretty good good for April as well.
There is a ton of skiable terrain close to both cabins, open faces, steep chutes, tree skiing you name it. The food and accomodations were first rate as well.
I really got to put some time onto my Icelantic Shaman powder skis here. The performance is incredible from these fat boys. I was able to ski at the limit of my ability and the harder you push the better they ski. Floatation is unreal and carving edges when traversing steep hardpack is easy. One thing is a bit annoying though is since they are so fat, a lot of snow collects on top and makes them noticibly heavy on the ascent. I had to keep kicking them down hard to knock it off. But besides that I highly recommend them.
I had a good time even though the group dynamics were such that a lot of time was wasted on waiting around.
Pretty good value for the money but next time I'd go a little earlier in the year.

Loading up the 1962 Tucker Sno Cat.

Transition time.

Near the top of a steep traverse.

Perfect snow crystals were falling. Freshiez!

Me in a postcard setting.

Vat ees za word for faze plant in Czech?

Some of us had a little problem with snow sticking to the skins...

Ian, Adrian the Aussie and I skiied Twisted Sister. The chute was steep enough and narrow at the top so that we had to jump turn down at first.

Ian and Mike

Making up tracks.

Ian at the first cabin.

Rudi looks like he's trying to remember how the skins work.

Good turns were had here.

First look down from the top of Bigtree.

This was the high light of the trip for me.

Ian explaining the how he will ski cut the slope and what to watch out for. All eyes on the skier!

Some were hesistant to go down...

The top of Bigtree. The run was simply exhilirating. At the start my uphill hand was nearing touching snow during the turning transitions due to the steepness. This is burned into my memory.

I would have loved to ski "Hyperventilate". Good thing we didn't though...A huge slab broke off and ran all the way down later in the day.

Ian and myself with the Musical peaks behind.

The guide broke his Fritchi binding rail so this was the field repair. We were able to crudely screw it together and make a heel riser which held out for the next 2 days.

With Yeti.

Heading up towards the next cabin.

Following Rudi up.

Pepo, the bouncing Czech chef.

April bliss.

Some big lines could be skiied here.

A little apres' ski.

Nice backdrop.

Mike

Me, Rudi, Pepo and Mike

End of the road.

Keiths hut area 3/10/07

Jason Jin Ju, A-Ron, TelePunk, RT and myself spent three good days skiing around the Joffre/Matier area. JJJ and AR did a 5.8 mixed climb up a north Joffre ridge while the rest of us skied around on the back ridge and glacier. Snow conditions were great in places but a warming trend started to turn it into a big slurpee on the last day.
It was the first time on my new powder skis, a pair of Icelantic Shaman 160/110/130. These super fat boys are awesome. Super responsive even with my two buckle Scarpa F1 rando race boots. The harder I pushed them, the better they performed. Check out their web site and support a smaller company. http://icelanticboards.com/at-boards.htm