I double checked that my snowboard and boots were in my van before leaving the house. These will be my most treasured items for the next four days. I was headed for Fernie, BC, in mid-winter, which means one thing: powder…and the steep lines that the East Kootenay’s area is known for. Oddly enough the shotgun seat in my van is empty and I’ll be arriving solo to spend the next four days with eight complete strangers. I had to be in the parking lot for pickup by five thirty that afternoon. I turned right on a snowy road. My GPS didn’t know where we were headed, but I did. Island Lake Lodge is at the end of this road and I’m going catboarding.

Arriving at the parking lot I see people milling about and a huge red snowcat skiing grumbling down from the forest. I rushed to gather my belongings and triple checked to make sure I had everything. Getting up to the lodge is about thirty minutes and I didn’t want to be that guy at the top missing his boots. I jumped into the back of the cat and grabbed the last seat on the bench. Everyone seemed friendly enough on the cat ride up and people chatted with one another. Inside my mind though, I was quietly sizing people up according to looks and the cities that they came from.  This would be my new crew for the next four days after all, and I was planning on getting in as many fresh turns as possible.

Two large timber framed lodges came into view and the huge snow taxi ride was almost over.  Arriving at the base lodge was more than I expected. I jumped out into the soft snow and was directed towards the Red Eagle Lodge which was a smaller A-frame lodge tucked into the corner of the clearing. I walked past the Bear Lodge, which was the original lodge when the operation started in 1988.  I knew of it from photos and was told it was used as the guest bar and lounge now. I dropped my bags off and immediately walked back over to snoop around it’s legendary walls and have a soda before dinner. I entered to a rousing crowd of what was surely an all-American group: east coast US accents and NFL football on the TV, screams included. I did some more analyzing of potential riding partners and was almost one hundred percent sure that I might be the only snowboarder up there. Not a problem. Dinner was served and finished up quickly. People scattered to their assigned rooms to prepare for an anticipated first day out in the mountains of Island Lake Lodge

Good Morning I.L.L.
My room was ultra comfortable but that didn’t stop me from waking up more than an hour before breakfast.  It was day one after all, and I had some energy ready to unleash on the Lizard Range of the BC, Rockies. Island Lake has seven thousand acres of terrain at it’s disposal; high alpine bowls, steep gladded trees and thousand’s of little secret little features that you couldn’t even dream of, all waiting to be found and ridden. First things first though, everyone in the group, regardless of experience, will go through the avalanche safety training. This includes accident procedure, beacon training and use of the shovel and probe. The guides at Island Lake Lodge do an amazing job with the safety briefing since this becomes ultra important information if the guides aren’t available in a worst-case scenario. It’s a nice feeling when you know that everyone is on the same page and understands the risks in your group.

Getting into the catskiing at Island Lake Lodge you’ll notice nice comfy benches, iPod dock, water-beverage station and a cooler filled to the brim with the tastiest sandwiches and cookies. I’ll get back to this area later and give out some tips.

Riding The Lizard
As it turned out there was one other snowboarder in my group: a Canadian ex-pro windsurfer who just moved back to the country after being in Brazil for quite some time. Once again I was sizing up my group.  Is this guy going to want to ride the same lines as me? This is the first day and let’s be honest, it’s powder and none of us know each other. It’ll be every man for himself. Enough said.

he guides at Island Lake have the terrain on lock down and I was lucky enough to have veteran “Big Steve” as my lead guide. He mapped out an amazing day and we didn’t once see the other group of eight skiers in the other snowcat that Island Lake operates on a daily basis.

Under grey skies we tracked up the bowls and flowed through gladded runs down to the final snowcat pick up at the bottom of Geisha Bowl; a definite leg burner. One of the nice final touches to each day is that the guides radio in beer orders that are sent out to the bottom of the bowl. An amazing finale to the day.

Apres, Island Lake Lodge.
After a day out charging powder and riding fast deep trees you’ll be drawn into the Bear Lodge. You can just feel the energy in the place and can tell right away that it’s got the most character of any of the other three lodges. Island Lake was stomping grounds for many a pro snowboarder; pro riders Craig Kelly, Jason Ford and Jake Blattner, pro photographer Mark Gallup and skier Scott Schmidt were all share holders at one time. The lodge has a definite vibe to it. The main feature is an amazing, one-of-a-kind stone fireplace. The bartending staff will get you going and keep you going into the night if you’re up to it. Watch out for the “shot ski.”

Bed to Breakfast at I.L.L.
Sleep comes much faster after a full day of being out in the snow. Lapping more powder than the average person rides in a season will do this to someone. The morning still brings the same excitement though, and jumping out of bed into the gear is easy.

Breakfast at Island Lake Lodge starts early and the spread is amazing with something for everyone.  There’s lots of space in the main Timber Lodge to join in with others or maybe just relax at your own table to recharge for the day. Pass the syrup!

Back into the Box
The next day brings more terrain and an amazing surprise. We are told that it might be possible to climb into the alpine terrain to the peaks of the Island Lake area.  We float through some thick clouds decorated with a lovely golden hue, right before we break into the blue ocean of the peaks. Nothing but cheers and smiles from everyone in the machine.

We all pile out to take photos and scope the terrain we are about to ride.  At this point it becomes a case of what we can ski as a group. I’m no longer concerned with sizing people up or worrying about who’s the fastest. It’s now more of a team effort and I have nothing but encouraging words for everyone in the crew.  The guides talk over options: steeper lines for some and options for people that just want to cruise and take in the view.

Everyone meets down at the cat after an amazing run down from the sunny alpine and into the misty magic of the Lizard range. An extremely stoked group gets into the cat, revisiting the refreshment area, cooler and the iPod dock. The rides up in the snowcat are tons of fun. Heli ski. This is where you’ll share stories, take care of foggy goggles, laugh and hopefully not cry from leg burn. The drink coolers are located in the back corner of the cat, so if you’re sitting there you’ll be playing bartender. Don’t sit there if your not into being Tom Cruise from Cocktail or if you hit the “shot ski” hard the night before. Next, the iPod dock. If you brought your own playlist and have been planning the music for a month, be prepared to let everyone have there own turn with their music. Get ready to tolerate all kinds of music. The food cooler is just like the drinks. You’ll be throwing sandwiches across to people all day; just remember to save some cookies for the guides.

The snowCat was crawling it’s way back to the alpine and the sunny ocean of powder that lay above it.  The doctor on my left seemed to be skiing faster and more aggressive.  The insurance broker and his retired ski buddy were all smiles and had the Bob Marely pumping on the iPod. The oldest skier in the group that was seventy and had already skied more vertical powder than all of us combined before he was fifty, was ready for anything. The surfy Canadian-Brazilian transplant who turned out to be the life of the cat (and my only snowboarding companion), is ripping.  All these people I had judged as strangers were becoming more and more like my normal crew as each day came and went. It was my turn to request a song and I got the Metallica queued up. I had my eye on a sweet line up top.

Despite The Heat Wave That Had Organizers of the Winter Games Literally Trucking in Snow and Competitors Complaining of Less Than Ideal Conditions, The People at Mica Heli Guides in Revelstoke  B.C. Are Still Enjoying Mountains of Fresh Powder.

Revelstoke, British Columbia, Canada, March 6, 2010 – Many a sigh of relief was heard in Vancouver as this year’s Winter Games came to a close last weekend. Organizers finally had a chance to relax after weeks of trucking in loads of snow in order to try to maintain some semblance of winter at what will long be remembered by many sports fans as the warmest Winter Olympics in decades. While many fans poked fun at  an event that  has been widely been referred to as a complete fiasco, one competitor even went so far as to display one of her perforated skis during an interview on a well known national television news channel, confirming that it had been damaged before she even reached the starting line, by a rock that was jutting out from beneath the surface of the thin layer of slippery slush.

Meanwhile, the locals chuckled and did their best to refrain from shouting “we told you so” as they found humor in the fact that while temperatures as high as fifty degrees Fahrenheit seemed to come as a complete shock to international fans and members of the Olympic Committee, that sort of weather is actually quite common in Vancouver during this time of the year. So, while some of the world’s top athletes battled it out on inches of slippery slush, many more savvy skiers and snowboarders took to the hills in search of several feet of powder.

Those who visited Mica this season managed to find what they were looking for, and some of them are still getting the rides of their lives at one of British Columbia’s premier heliskiing destinations. In fact, conditions at Mica’s vast backcountry tenure remain so good that the company’s powerful mountain helicopters haven’t seen much downtime since late last November, as people continue to flock here in search of a ski experience that is simply unrivaled.

Nestled on the western slopes of the Canadian Rockies near Revelstoke British Columbia, Mica Heli Ski impressive tenure consists of nearly 180,000 acres of some of the backcountry ski terrain on the planet. Because of its strategic location, this area is consistently home to some of the deepest driest champagne powder in the world, perfect for living out even the wildest of skiing or snowboarding fantasies.

Known as one of the best in the business, Mica Heli Guides uses A-Star and Bell 407 helicopters to speedily transport its guests to some amazing backcountry locations, where they get a chance to lay fresh tracks in heaps of dry champagne powder as they enjoy  run after run of adrenaline pumping Canadian heliskiing. Mica specializes exclusively in small groups  and has a well established reputation for employing only the most skilled and experienced helicopter pilots and ski guides in all of North America.

While other operations have already shut down for the season, Mica’s dedicated staff is still hard at work as excellent ski conditions persist with a snowpack of over two hundred and fifty centimeters and some fresh snowfall in the last week. One thing that makes Mica’s terrain so special is that it is strategically situated between the Monashee and Selkirk ranges, in Canada’s Rocky Mountains. This is an area known for producing exceptionally deep, dry powder, which is a result of moist storms from the west colliding with cold arctic air that blows in from northern Alberta. The ski season here typically lasts through early May and  snowfall often exceeds 60 feet per year.

ABOUT:

Mica Heli Skiing near Revelstoke, B.C. specializes in small group heli-skiing. It is one of three operations in The Island Lake Resort Group, the others being Powder Cowboy snowcat skiing and Island Lake Lodge catskiing near Fernie B.C.. For more information, contact Darryn Shewchuk at  1.877.837.6191 x2002.

One of the Pioneers of Freestyle Skiing, B.C. Native Wayne Wong, Took a Trip to Island Lake Lodge, Near Fernie, British Columbia, Where he Dazzled Fellow Guests With His Awe Inspiring Aerial Antics

Fernie, British Columbia, Canada, February 26, 2010 – Wayne Wong, one of the legendary founding fathers of freestyle skiing, recently paid a visit to his friends at Island Lake Lodge, in Fernie B.C., where he proved that his impressive skills remain sharp, even after all these years. For the people who were fortunate enough to be there, it was amazing to see one of the greatest ski legends of all time still landing many of the tricks that made him so famous in the 70s.

Wong, who is a Vancouver born, second generation Canadian of Chinese ancestry, first made a name for himself in the early nineteen seventies, when he and a handful of other talented hot doggers, which included Roger Evans, John Clendenin, Bob Salerno, and Tom Leroy, helped to develop a style of skiing that the world had never seen before. Despite a good deal of opposition from people who felt that it was too dangerous to be included in official sporting events, freestyle skiing, a sport that Wong helped develop, was eventually recognized by the International Ski Federation (FIS) in 1979.

The sport gained more notoriety and credibility as time went on, The first World Cup Series was held in 1980 and the first ever World Championships took place in 1986. Freestyle skiing was eventually included in the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and both mogul skiing as well as the aerial competition were subsequently named official medal events in 1992 and 1994, respectively.

Wayne Wong, who first started skiing seriously when he was just a young teenager in the early nineteen sixties, is credited with being one of the inventors of freestyle skiing. He became a ski instructor at the age of sixteen, in order to get a free lift ticket, and got into freestyle skiing when he was twenty one years old. In 2009, Wong was inducted into the Canadian Ski Hall of Fame, in recognition of his enormous contribution to that nation’s ski culture.

This February, Wong spent a few days flaunting his moves at one of British Columbia’s oldest and most well respected catskiing resorts, namely: Island Lake Lodge, near Fernie, British Columbia. With a history that rivals his own, Island Lake, which was one of Canada’s first snowcat skiing operations, dates back to the mid 1980s. This world famous ski lodge , which was the first resort in British Columbia to own its own ski terrain outright, sits on roughly 7000 acres of some of the finest ski country on earth, on the northern end of the Lizard Range portion of the Canadian Rockies, in an area known as the Cedar Valley.

The Island lake property, which originally belonged to the Shell Oil Company, is comprised of a magnificent assortment of deep bowls, classic alpine ridges and spectacular gladed tree runs. The terrain is as diverse as it is vast and several of the resort’s numerous runs can be skied right to the door of the lodge itself.

Since its modest beginnings, Island Lake has grown to include four separate lodging facilities as well as a full service spa. It is known for its luxurious accommodations, excellent cuisine and the friendly service of its warm and pleasant staff. Nevertheless, what Island Lake is most well known for is powder. The resort’s terrain is home to some of the best catskiing in the world, and it has something for skiers of every level to enjoy, from amateur enthusiasts to freestyle legends like the world famous Wayne Wong.

ABOUT:

Island Lake Lodge is a back country resort located on 7,000 acres of mountainous terrain near Fernie B.C. Canada, just beyond the Mount Fernie Provincial Park. Island Lake Resorts consist of Island Lake Catskiing in addition to Powder Cowboy Catskiing and Mica Heli Ski.

World Class Skier and GMC Host, Joe Lammers, Stars in the First of a Three Part Series That Features All Three Island Lake Resorts.

Fernie, British Columbia, Canada, February 18, 2010 – GMC World of Skiing Host and Famed Whistler bad boy Joe Lammers is at it again. Prior to his recent visit to Island Lake Lodge, which aired on Rogers SportsNet just last month, Joe and the crew of GMC visited the one and only Powder Cowboy Catskiing, located just outside of Fernie B.C., in the heart of the majestic Canadian Rockies, catskiing capital of the world.

Powder Cowboy is one of the well known and respected catskiing operations in all of North America. Located on some 6000 acres of prime catskiing tenure in the south east corner of British Columbia, Powder Cowboy is home to the Bull River Guest Ranch, which is comprised of ten separate log cabins. The largest of these is the Long Horn Salute, whose facilities include a dining room, bar, kitchen and massage rooms. Powder Cowboy’s world class catskiing resort also doubles as a dude ranch in the summer.

Because it is located on the western slopes of the Canadian Rockies, Powder Cowboy’s terrain gets a particularly impressive amount of deep dry powder each winter. In fact, the resort’s tenure enjoys 40-60 feet of powder each year, making it a Mecca for ski junkies from all over the planet.

Nevertheless, despite the enormous size of its tenure, Powder Cowboy is by no means a mega resort. In fact, its terrain is serviced by only two snow cats, with a capacity of 12 passengers each. This means that Powder Cowboy’s lucky guests get to enjoy uncrowded slopes and lay fresh tracks on virtually every run. Small group size in addition to personalized service and outstanding lodging facilities are just three of the factors that set Powder Cowboy apart from the competition.

Powder Cowboy is also the only BC catskiing resort with a western theme, and its rustic but comfortable accommodations added to the down home hospitality of its friendly staff are simply unparalleled. The main lodge is both spacious and inviting. It is the perfect place to enjoy a gourmet meal, expertly prepared by the resort’s talented kitchen staff, which is made up of qualified red seal chefs.

But what truly draws world class athletes and amateurs alike to Powder Cowboy is the prospect of skiing fresh dry Champagne powder, while surrounded by some of the most awe inspiring natural scenery on the planet. As the resort’s Director of Sales and Marketing, Darryn Shewchuk, is quick to point out, Powder Cowboy is primarily known for tree skiing. Its tenure is filled with an abundance of glades and steep tree lines that go right up to the ridge tops themselves. These make for a variety of tree runs that start at the very tops of the ridges and lead directly down into the valley bottoms and meadows below.

Tree spacing is also ideal, providing just enough room for skiers maneuver as they make their way through the glades and while there are some open bowls to ski here is as well, tree skiing is what Powder Cowboy is most famous for. The terrain is divided into several different areas. The Cabin Zone features open slopes and spacious tree glades that are perfect for warm-up runs. The Backside of the cruisers on the other hand is home to some really steep chutes and bowls. The Lizard Zone is the place to be for tree skiing and is home to some impressive old-growth forest made up mostly of spruce and fir.

Powder Cowboy has an abundance of long ridges and peaks with lines dropping in virtually every heli ski direction. This makes it easy for the snowcats to access the drop zones. Nevertheless, for the more adventurous, there are also some other spots, which require a little boot hiking and provide access to some incredible and otherwise inaccessible lines, such as those found on Yeti Backside, Snakes and Ladders and 3G.

ABOUT:

Powder Cowboy Snowcat skiing near Fernie B.C. boasts 6000 acres of big bowls, steep chutes and is famous for world class gladed tree skiing. The white gold on the Western Rockies is legendary for quality and quantity, with over 10 meters (over 30 feet!) of dry champagne powder falling every season.

One of British Columbia’s Premier Catskiing Outfits is Now Offering a Wide Range of Special Deals For The Current Ski Season.

Fernie, British Columbia, Canada,  February 11, 2010 – As the 2010 winter season kicks into full gear, Powder Cowboy, one of British Columbia’s best known and most well respected catskiing companies, is offering a host of special rates and promotions.  In addition to last minute deals on day skiing, Powder cowboy also has a number of packages for skiers and snowboarders that want to stay at the famed Bull River Guest Ranch for 2 days or more in order to do some phenomenal backcountry powder skiing.

The 2 day 1 Night Special, for example, costs only $975 and is designed specifically for people who want to enjoy a weekend of skiing. There is also a 2 day 2 Night Special which is now being offered for $1099, as opposed to the regular rate of $1250. Because the people at Powder Cowboy know that guests often simply don’t want to leave, they are also currently offering a 20% discount on additional tours, to people who decide to stay an extra few days.

In addition, Powder Cowboy does its best to accommodate families. That is why the company is currently offering a 25% discount for children between the ages of 12 and 18. Because of the extreme skiing conditions, kids taking advantage of this special deal should be advanced powder skiers, and must be accompanied by an adult.

Powder Cowboy specializes in Catskiing, an activity that involves using snowcats ( vehicles often used to groom ski trails) to transport skiers and snowboarders to backcountry locations where there is typically an abundant amount of deep, dry powder. Catskiing has a number of advantages over traditional skiing. First and foremost, it provides access to a much wider variety of terrain than normal ski lifts do. In addition, because snowcats are often fueled using biodiesel, the activity has a limited environmental impact. Catskiing also allows skiers and snowboarders to experience the countryside in a completely different way than they would from a lift.

Nevertheless, Catskiing isn’t the only thing that B.C. is famous for, the Canadian Rockies are also a Mecca for heliskiing and heliboarding. These two activities consist of flying  into backcountry ski terrain using a helicopter.  Many skiers who visit British Columbia are drawn by the prospect of engaging not only in catskiing, but also look forward to  going on a heliskiing tour.

Fortunately for its guests, Powder Cowboy is part of the Island Lake Resort group, which includes not only Island Lake Lodge, one of B.C.’s oldest and most well renowned  catskiing operations, but also Mica Heliskiing, based just outside of Revelstoke, British Columbia. Mica, which specializes in heliskiing and heliboarding, is a highly respected outfit that provides small groups of skiers and snowboarders with access to its vast tenure, consisting of almost 178,000 acres of backcountry ski terrain.

As part of a special promotion, Skiers who book packages at both Mica Heliskiing and Island Lake will now receive a free three day trip to Powder Catskiing. This is a great opportunity for avid skiers to experience three of the world’s best backcountry powder skiing destinations. In addition, for those people who want to ski at both Island Lake as well as Powder Cowboy but are not interested in heliskiing, there is now another special promotion being offered. That deal consists of 20% off the Island Lake tour, whenever somebody books at Powder Cowboy.

All of these promotions are available for the 2010 season only, so skiers will have to act fast if they hope to take advantage of them. Because unusually heavy snowfall is expected to hit the Pacific Northwest this season, Powder Cowboy is sure to be booked solid in no time.

ABOUT:
Powder Cowboy Catskiing near Fernie B.C. boasts 6000 acres of big bowls, steep chutes and is famous for world class gladed tree skiing. The white gold on the Western Rockies is legendary for quality and quantity, with over 10 meters (over 30 feet!) of dry champagne powder falling every season.