December Skiing

December.  TLH Guides Training, teaching avalanche courses, ski touring, some Heli time, and a few days of guiding make for little time to blog.  Getting out as much as possible in the mountains for work or play is soul soothing.  The challenges behind access, navigation, avalanche hazard, decision making, etc, is what drives the motivation and is kept by experiencing something new each day.  Here are some photos to show you what's been going on...

(Photo Above:  Re-Fueling the Heli for the first day of Heli-Skiing)

(Photo Above:  Just a bunch of Guides hanging out on the Hurley area near Tenquille Mountain)

Lucky enough to get a break in work and getting out in the mountains for myself has been just as good.  Christina Lusti, Jason Kruk, and I got out for a pow slashing day on Mt Cayoosh to go ski the Million Dollar Couloir in the increasingly high quality snow December had brought us.  We were fortunate enough to break trail the whole day, not seeing another soul, and even found the snow on the glacier to be filling in nicely.  It was good to be among friends harvesting DEEP powder.

(Photo Above:  Christina Lusti cruising over to Million Dollar Couloir)

(Photo Above:  Jason Kruk harvesting some DEEP snow before dropping into the Million Dollar Couloir)

There have been more people heading to the mountains this year, again.  Days, weeks, and months of time spent in the mountains make them home, introducing people to them and seeing their respect grow is amazing.  It's good to see people's interest grow in them, so there are more people out there to protect them, and ensure they stay wild.

"Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out going to the mountains is going home; that wilderness is a necessity..." - John Muir