2023 - Revelstoke & Skoki

Our first trip in 3 years so Mark & I did a pre-trip to Killington the weekend before after they got an 18" storm. Was fun but the real adventure started with a travel odyssey - Mark pranked us telling us he missed Montreal connection, I was rerouted through Halifax, lost skis and then missed t-can road closure in Golden by 7 minutes so backtrack to emerald lake lodge (Beautiful! And grateful for beds!), where Mark won paper-rock-scissors so didn't have to share a bed

We woked up the next morning and finished drive to revy, rented stuff. 10.30am start even with 1st time change of day.. Such a huge mountain with varied conditions- hardpack at bottom, nice groomers off stoke amd some nicer soft bumps in the trees off ripper chair. Long, long runs - 30K of vertical, overall 6.5 on snow conditions. Finished the day with snow falling, and a taste of predicted powder (hopefully) coming tonight and over next few days. Modern condo just outside town and got pizza in a busy downtown revelstoke. Another time change (forward) for DST and early bedtime after prior night.

Day 2 had 13cm of fresh overnight, so hussled over to ripper to get some fresh tracks. Nobody there for an hour, so got some nice runs in the trees and under the chair. Just enough snow to soften and silence the snow. Pho soup for lunch again then afternoon with some sun, some fog, a hike up into north bowl for excellent powder/gully run. Another 30k of vertical and 26 miles of skiing. Dinner is steaks at airbnb watching oscars.

Monday woke up to another 19cm and dumping snow. Heavier than yesterday and with ripper delayed, headed down double-black kill the banker, which we renamed kill the fink. Frankel talked him through it, and took over the #2 spot in group skier ability. Permanently. Great deep powder runs all day, with free refills until last chair. Fun dinner at Frankel recommended (a first!) Craft Bierhaus

Tuesday is packing/frittata and urge to get on the mountain with another 10cm overnight (50cm total for the trip), and maybe some sun. Some "10" runs off ripper then we were there for Opening of lemming line and got first tracks in north bowl - an "11". A 10 day (with no ski swap by fink) and perfect culmination to resort part of the trip - each day getting better. Dinner in Golden, then slept in Lake Louise.

Part 2 of the trip (without fink) began at Wilson sports where Mark rented alpine touring gear and we met up with Amanda and Matt. Got some breakfast/sandwiches then up the gondola to head into skoki. Cold and sunny to start but clouded up going across the lake and up deception pass, where the kids got tired of waiting for the old guys. A good climb then the run into the lodge which is as cozy and friendly as I remember. Stayed in wolverine cabin. Mark, Amanda and Matt went up skoki a little, and Mark spent time figuring out the equipment. Or at least trying to. Delicious beef Bourgogne dinner, clear skies with great stars and a 9am bedtime. Skied 8 miles or so, with 1600' of climbing.

The next day, the old guys went to merlin lake, about 3 miles away with small climb. Beautiful to be alone, far from other humans, through the meadow and up to the alpine lake. Couple struggles switching equip from ski to walk / skins in the deep snow. The kids did a bigger climb to a lake near deception, then we all went up skoki and got some tight turns in skoki woods. Another gourmet (salmon) dinner. Bluebird day - my first ever at the lodge

Friday after big breakfast, skied out and got our best powder turns coming down from deception pass. Maybe 4 minutes of skiing. Skipped laps at bunker when Amanda and Matt felt the snow settling. Then down to lake louise, up the chair and back to reality. Walked across the lake and had a beer at the chateau before another Friday night dinnet at yyc and redeye home. Skoki feels like a whole other trip - will be back. And in a bit of deja vu, a stuck jet way meant I missed my flight by 7 minutes (and went through closed gate door to beg, was threatened with arrest). 10 hours in Toronto, so went to hockey hall of fame. After an extended version of a long days journey into night, Air canada is now "off the list".