Somewhere in Canada
In January 2020 we had the time of our lives SOMEWHERE IN CANADA.
I’m fortunate to have the means, skills, and friends to jump into helicopters in search of untouched snow in the deep backcountry.
None of this would be possible without a strong relationship with my partner. We are super supportive of each other maintaining and exploring our individuality by taking trips by ourselves. I’m happiest pushing my limits in movement culture and take those opportunities whenever I can.
THE JOURNEY
For the trip we chose the town of Revelstoke in Eastern British Columbia, Canada. My close friend Nihal wanted a proper snow-adventure-baby-moon before the arrival of his new son. The only weekend that worked was MLK. Canada made the most sense to avoid the typical overpacked US resorts. Not only does Revelstoke Resort have the most vertical feet of any mountain in North America, but in addition there are tons of options for Heli and CAT skiing.
We needed four people for the Heli operator we wanted and brought in Ryan who then brought in KeviN. We had our A-TEAM.
Revelstoke is not an easy town to get to which rewards those that make the journey. I traveled from SF to Seattle to a small airport in BC called Kelowna. The rest of the crew all living in NYC had to fly to Seattle as well. In Kelowna airport, feeling feisty, I was about to buy us all beers at the airport Tim Horton’s when we realized that Revelstoke was still a 2.5 hour drive away. While the total trip took me 9 hours it took the NYC crew 15 hours!
After a crazy long and unexpected drive in the dark we got into Revelstoke and made the solid decision to find a great meal. Quartermaster Eatery really delivered and we ended up pretending it was someone’s birthday and eating there again.
This was my first time in Canada with Cannabis being legal and even in a small town there were plenty of dispensary options. We opted for Summit Cannabis Co only because it was the only store still open at 11pm. Post dinner we made our way to our beautiful Airbnb and prepped for the next day’s visit to the resort.
REVELSTOKE
Revelstoke Resort is a no nonsense massive mountain filled by people with a singular mission to fully send it.
Upon waking up we got a sense of just how much snow had been dumping up there. Per the locals it had been “puking and we were going to need our snorkels”. Luckily the Airbnb was super close to the resort. After the best egg sandos and some sambal sauce mishaps at La Baguette, we were off.
It takes three gondolas to get to almost the top of the mountain. Kevin and I ended up hiking for thirty minutes to the mountain’s peak and then into the North Bowl. Taking off my board and falling off a cliff weren’t even close to stopping me and for two days we tore into Revelstoke’s technical steep terrain. I was charging to the sounds of sweet afro dance riddims you can check out above.
EAGLE PASS HELI
The entire trip was planned around Heliskiing. Thanks to my writer, adventurer, old friend Thomas Kohnstamm we picked Eagle Pass on his recommendation.
Eagle Pass Heliskiing is more than a vacation; it’s a pilgrimage taking you to a place with champagne powder and mountains as far as your eye can see. Talented and experienced guides take you up, up and beyond the usual well-tracked terrain, into an unspoiled and endless ski-paradise. Exclusively flying A-Star helicopters that can land on tighter mountain features, you’ll be able to ride spectacular lines until the natural light or your legs call it a day.
Eagle Pass Heli is no joke and that text taken from their website is spot on. We ended up booking about a month in advance for mid January which is a bit early in the season. You will need a crew of four people that have experience with deep powder. By Powder I don’t mean a couple of extra inches of snow. I mean half your body submerged in snow riding. If your squad doesn’t have this experience you’re better off CAT skiing and being honest about your riding level.
THE DANGER
Yes helicopters can be dangerous which is why you have to vet the organization. You have a greater risk of dying in a car accident than a helicopter. What’s even more dangerous is the threat of avalanche in the back country. You begin the day with classes on what to do if you’re caught in an avalanche, how to find someone trapped in one, and how to use your special avalanche gear. The gear consists of a shovel and probe and a beacon that can be used to find you or search for others. In addition you have to wear a special backpack with an airbag you inflate by pulling on a red ripcord - what Kevin reminds me to pull out in the video - “Red Rocket Red Rocket”.
We did a total of six long ass runs for the day with the helicopter taking us to a new peak each and every time. Our guide was phenomenal and we were always in waist deep powder.
I’ve been fortunate to develop my powder riding over the last three years and just last season bought the Travis Rice Lib Tech Orca. Having the skills and the gear made all the difference.
Nihal wasn’t as fortunate and made the right decision of stopping after the first run. While I will forever tease him about this, he absolutely made the right decision for his safety. Also it was the best decision for us so we didn’t waste the day waiting for him!
Riding and gliding over mother nature in areas so remote you need a helicopter is a dream come true. A drug like no other.
Here’s to many more trips SOMEWHERE IN CANADA.
