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Written by Conor Hurley
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Wednesday, 13 December 2006 |
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The Crew
12/7-12/13
Part II SOL Mountain Touring.
I don’t know where to start when it comes to “the crew,” as I will warmly refer to them from now on. Dave, Kate and Tucson have known each other since they were kids. They all grew up in Nakusp, BC—a small town on the shore of the Upper Arrow Lake. Since then they have all gone their separate ways, but recently they have started working together.
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"The Crew" atop Mission Ridge looking East towards the Goat Range.
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Kate owns her own pottery studio. Although she currently works there 80-plus hours a week, she decided she wants to improve her carpentry skills. She worked harder than any of us while she was up here. On one of the steepest pitches of the Mission Ridge, she showed her true colors by ripping it in three arced turns.
Tucson is a tall, lanky fellow who carries himself like silent thunder. He quietly impressed me while working steadily on the railings, and tearing up the mountain after us when he had to go back to the lodge to fix his binding.
Dave, or "Cowboy"—I think that he answers to both of them—is a brash young man. But he can back it up at the same time, whether scraping down a rock band or with his joinery. Always quick to crack a joke, or get some massive air, he manages to do it all with a smile.
The crew was here from Monday through Thursday night. They had bartered their way into some guided powder skiing with Aaron. Their half of the deal was to construct some railings on the porch and put in a set of stairs, while Aaron’s was to deliver some turns in the trees, chutes and steeps of the Monashees.
The three of them plugged away at the job, skiing in the morning and working like mad people for the afternoon. By Tuesday night they completed most of the job. I think that the ski tour and the massive construction effort may have taken its toll, as Wednesday seemed a little tough. However, Thursday’s bright morning sky seemed to shake the bugs out.
Pinks and purples mixed together to form the backdrop for an incredible Monashee sunrise. No one missed it, as we were all fired up for the tour that we planned out at dinner. By the time we crested Mission Ridge, the clear skies served up views of the Goat Range to the East and the towering peaks of the Valhalla Provincial Park to the South.
After taking time to examine the conditions of the area that we wanted to ski, we all felt that it was good to go. One at a time we picked our lines. Some chose trees, others took the more open lines and still others chose to huck carcass off anything they could find. One way or another, we all made it down with grins on our faces. |
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Kate using the router.
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Dave and Kate skinning up under some cloud cover.
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Mount Fosthall in the early morning light.
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Looking over Arrow Lake towards the Goat Range. Sol Mountain Lodge.
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Nothing like starting a day off by skinning to what seems to be the top of the world.
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Kate and Tuscon enjoying a little down time at Sol Mountain Lodge.
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Settling in for bed at Sol Mountain.
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A view from my room at Sol Mountain.
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Aaron Cooperman starting the day off right.
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Little Baldur and the Arrow Lake below, Sol Mountain Lodge.
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