SKI WEST POL TV REALITY TOUR continues onward without the Polish Component. I hope they are having a grand time in Cuba. In our last episode, that’s where they flew off to along with Pawel (see previous reports) . Meanwhile, Miles and I stayed on in Golden BC doing tours in Rogers Pass where the snow is deep and light . It’s still total winter conditions up on the glaciers. Miles and Troy Jungen hiked Youngs Peak where Miles got his first trashing from Troy , who is training to reach that personal ski touring vertical, in a day. One has been rumoured to be be held by a Greg Hill from Revelstoke , 40,000feet vert in a day , ski touring ??!!

Kicking Horse too amazed me again as with only 11 cm new. It had blown in over days so much that the back of The Ozones were thigh deep. We then followed the advice of the Ski Patrol when we hiked back up to the ridge dividing the boundary closure line. It was all legal as long as we stayed on our side of the fence. This permanent closure still kind of boggles me a bit as it really does not make much sense ??. Anyhow, we skied thigh deep off the nose of the thing and the further bowls at KHMR.

Fred Becky came to mind today when I saw this picture. Fred came ski touring here with us five years ago before the Gondola went in at old Whietooth. Fred Becky’s a climbing legend at 84 (we think, but nobody really knows) He is still on the never e4nding expedition, climbing from Joshua Tree, to Alaska, having attempted a 7000 meter Peak in China and other high peaks in Alaska. . Fred called the house and talked to Miles today. He is on his way to Rogers Pass to ski tour and will probably see Troy in Revelstoke.

I was resting today after a hard six hour slog up from the Lilly departure zone a Rogers.. We drove up in a Motor home with Doug, Colin and three Norwegian girls , (one was actually Finnish) The girls were incredibly fit and went up like goats on their touring equipment. I felt embarrassed lagging behind ten minutes or so on the way up. Had an incredible powder run back down this glacier, thigh deep, fluff all the way, it really was unreal. The rest of the party went up and over and skied out another drainage on the Illecillewaet side. Then, I saw something really funny . Now this was something seldom viewed , or I would think , anyway. As we drove the Motor home to pick up the others , a skier had just descended into the parking lot, waved a HI FI to the ranger, stopped, dropped his pack and ski gear, then climbed over the snow bank and picked up his skateboard with an intention to skate down the Trans Canada to pick up his or, like “ dude , like there’s really nothing to it “ . Well, the Ranger did not think so and offered instead to drive the lad for his vehicle pick up.

I had been waiting to go paragliding while in Golden. The Mt 7 launch is one of Canada’s best and renowned all over the world. So, instead of a day off after our grueling ski tour at Rogers yesterday, we had another nice surprise. Ptor informs us that we are getting picked up to go paragliding in five minutes. We meet on the old Rodeo grounds, get in a truck and head up to Kilometer 10 on the forest access road, which at times is terrifying, more than the flying ever will be. The road was sheer ice with two tracks where four by fours braved the elements. The jokes inside the cab only talked of digging out drivers.

The drive is over, whef, then we hike for another half hour up the old upper launch road to the take off site. It’s cold and getting overcast as a system can be seen heading up the Rocky Mountain Trench from the south of us.. There are five of us up here. We don flight suits or similar apparel and try departing northwards first. This is to nop avail as our canopies are hit by something as we run and they rise. I follow Mark’s example. To facilitate me I get help from other local flyers while I walk down the steep snow slope to the edge of the scree . These are committed like take offs. I like these type of launches, they are real, they have to be each time. In seconds I’m going up like in a big elevator following Mark who is welll above me a thousand feet or so by now. It’s cold and it’s cloudy. Could a few specks of sunshine through the cold mist create such lift ? Ptor Sprienieks launches and is quickly caught up in a big thermal as he passes me in an upward spiral. This is amazing for this time of year. . It has been an interesting spring tour of fine ski touring, great flying and some awesome high altitude powder skiing . And now it's dumping at Kickinghorse again , so it's time to do laps in North Bowl again and take a peek down the Backside of Ozones.
It may be flying, skiing or climbing and thus a Fred Becky beckons in all of us. What I meant to say as that he keeps dropping into our lives, so let’s cherish it and keep getting inspired so stay tuned to www.explorex.net