WE AWOKE TO A FEW INCHES of new snow and a blank can-vas—the whole zone to ourselves and no tracks in sight. The first objective: snow assessment. You can only glean so much from an avalanche report this far into the backcountry. Different micro-climates and different aspects can produce vastly different results, and we were keenly aware of potential weak layers deeper in the snowpack. Thankfully, the terrain beyond the hut offered a con-sistent progression from sheltered to exposed. Walking through quiet fir trees drenched in moss, clouds continued to roll through—it would be a slow break to the storm. That suited us just fine as we arrived at a small mellow slope with a few natural poppers, our first lines of the day. Mov-ing to a frozen lake, the full expanse of this area became readily apparent—steep, pillowed walls on multiple aspects sat below a bench, which wrapped around the mid-elevations of a large glacial cirque with 270 degrees of rideable terrain. A moraine split the lower bench, offering an enticing sustained pitch to rip wide open turns. Gullies flowed through the trees well below the massive cliffs of the summit and, ultimately, a high glacier below a prized couloir high above. It was enough to last a few days, or maybe a few weeks, a few years, a lifetime if you wanted to see what was around every corner—the endless possibilities of the Coast Mountains. Still, we didn’t get up high that first day as lingering clouds ob-scured the alpine. Patience is a virtue in the backcountry and we were happy to lap the lower elevations. In addition to allowing for extensive snow assessment, this gave time for Marie and Fran to talk through some of the finer points of riding coastal BC terrain. Later, Fran reflected on that day, “I’m not used to filming with crews, and I realized how beautiful and amazing, how safe you can feel while pushing your limits and showing yourself how strong you feel. When you are with an amazing team, everyone wants the best for every moment. Riding with Marie, she is so strong and unstoppable—even though she’s humble, it’s amaz-ing how much technique and style she has for snowboarding and moving through the backcountry. That helped me bring out my best version of self, especially for jumping, and follow her perfect eye to choose a line from the bottom and follow it from the top, turn by turn, pillow by pillow, one of the hardest skills on blind lines. I jumped like never before because watching her made me feel everything is possible. Even with a few crashes, with a sup-portive and motivated team, my inner strength grew 300 percent to achieve unimaginable things.” Clearly, Fran had a good day. She tried tricks she had never tried, on the kind of playful coastal features she had never rid-den, all while learning a lot about style and flow. By the time we returned to the hut, she was spent. We all were. Stepping outside that night, the Milky Way had never looked so good. Yet with nothing to do but refuel and relax in our backcountry abode, rest and rejuvenation came easily. COAST MOUNTAINS 063
The Snowboarder's Journal The Snowboarder's Journal 21.4: Page 63
