Mountain Life Article !

This link is a piece I wrote for Mountain Life Magazine.
I was on the fence in regard to writing this personal experience.. It brought back haunting moments but at the same time I wanted to articulate an event not often shared. Its ironic how alive and alert my senses were to what was happening yet my grasp of of time was lost.
If you can't read it here download it or grab a current copy of Mountain Life Magazine.

LINK HERE ! BELOW

SLIDE FOR LIFE !

Valhalla Mountain Touring !

The season has been off to an unusually slow start on the West Coast of British Columbia. Our usual lines and current projects are yet to fill in. In the meantime this has meant finding creative ways to seek out mountain adventures. Surprisingly, with a little effort there were some great turns to be had. To fill the gaps I often found myself cross training and dreaming up future explorations. Many of which will unfold as the season progresses.

A week before Christmas I cracked an e-mail from lead guide “Evan Stevens” of Valhalla Mountain Touring (VMT), saying there was spaces available at the lodge. It was the ideal opportunity for me to get as far away as possible from the unfolding chaos during the final week of Christmas shopping. Fellow MEC Envoy, Tobin Seagel, Coast Steep Skier Trevor Hunt, and my partner Julie quickly packed our bags and headed inland in search of the great conditions we had been seeing through social network sites. As we departed Squamish, it was difficult to concede that the coastal mountains were having a subpar start to the season, especially with being exceedingly spoiled the past few years.  

After making good time to Revelstoke and heading down Hwy 6 towards the ferry at Arrow Lake, it was starting to look like the winter we are accustomed to. It was clear the central interior was experiencing normal accumulations and reporting good stability. Perhaps we were in for the pre-Christmas powder gluttony we all were daydream about…or so we hoped.  Anticipation built on the short ferry ride across Arrow Lake as we eyeballed potential ski lines high above the waters. After departing the ferry and pulling into Nakusp, we made a mandatory stop at the local bakery to fill up on the savory goods. I recalled this bakery from a visit a few years prior and stopping was an absolute must. A short drive from here brought us to the meeting place to begin the 1 hour snow cat ride to the lodge.

VMT is unique as it is one of the oldest commercial backcountry operations in BC. It was started in 1978, and Dale and Lynda Caton purchased it in 1993; it has been a family run business ever since. Daughter, Jasmin Caton, who is now a certified Ski and Rock Guide, bought VMT with her husband Evan Stevens and together they run the updated 7 bedroom Timber Frame Lodge.  The lodge boasts incredible comforts for such a remote location. Collectively Jasmin and Evan guide the clients, maintain the facilities, and manage a micro-hydro project that is designed to have no impact on the stream ecology. The land tenure has over 80km² of skiable terrain that would take a lifetime to fully explore and understand. With ambitions high, our aim for the next 4 days was to see and ski as much of that 80km² as possible. With the slow start to our Coastal touring season, fitness was a little low but we knew that this would be the perfect way to build a base for the winter. Ambition drove us as we were excited to arrive at the lodge and acquaint ourselves with the folks that were already there having fun.

In the morning we fuelled up on Bean Brackendale Roast while Evan gave the pre-trip avalanche advisory and updated conditions on what the group could expect.

Spro and Go !

The settled snow depth was amongst the deepest in the province, and with this report we were hard pressed to wipe the silly grins off of our faces.

Lead Guide Stevens..Daily routine of measuring "Faceshots"

With the amount of varied terrain at our doorstep, we thought we would head up to Ruby Ridge to start. After all we had pulled Evan and Jasmin aside for the inside scoop on where to find sheltered north facing lines. 

Smarties do Tour.. We saw them !

As we put our skins on outside the cabin we weren’t exactly giving up our secret stash to the other guests. Quietly we sauntered away downplaying any knowledge of the area so nobody would follow us. We had a good laugh when all the groups collectively merged an hour or so later on the ridge.

Ha Ha Ha.. Hooo.. what you guys doing here :)

Apparently we weren’t the only ones with a good Idea. It was awesome to hear the hooting and hollering from those we could not see. The ridge provided plenty of space for everyone to safely drop a few private lines on multiple aspects. It was the perfect day to test out the legs and dust off the early season "Pow-Webs".

Dusk arrived at 4:00pm saving us from completely burning out, and the incredible 2000-foot line back to the lodge for après and sauna was the feather in the cap. 

Onion Duty !

There is something special about skiing powder and being in the mountains. It brings a unique and childlike energy to a group, giving grown adults a new sense of discovery. Relived moments and experiences around the dinner table brought our different snow experience together.

Shredding pow by day, Shredded Cheese by night !

One big Powder hungry family !

Over the next few days, our confidence in the snow pack increased and we ventured out into bigger terrain. 

Good to Go !

All around us you could see an abundance of natural paths from steep summits and chutes, to low angle tree line bowls.

Views like this, it's also about the Up !

The area is as diverse as it is playful, bringing in many considerations and aspects when navigating the terrain. On my last trip to VMT I had scoped out ‘Rugged Peak’, and Evan had mentioned some of the longest unbroken lines were to be had up there. From the col, you could see as far as the Bugaboos and Howser Towers. With a 2500ft powder run on the line, there was little discussion on the day’s objective.

But I like the "Deep Down" Trevor Hunt

Once again after studying the terrain, we discovered a safe passage to the goods. All week we had been utilizing ridges and well protected forested areas to gain access to the skiing.

 The balance of tree skiing and Alpine terrain was always perfect, and this day would be no different. At our high point we were treated to a spectacular 360° view of the entire tenure including the Howser Towers off in the distance.

Tobin did his best to keep snow out of his boots !

He eventually gave up and goes in deep !

Heading home for dinner !

Evan Leading by example !

Yours Truly lost in front of the lens ! Freds Image..

Garibaldi !
A walk in the Park... No really, A walk in the park !



It's no secret the coast is in a bit of a slump this winter. I'm optimistic things will pick up and there is plenty of time to get back on track. We had a refresh this past weekend and it was great to see the storm depositing up to 100cm in some areas allowing us back into some of our favourite lines, particularly on Whistler/Blackcomb.
The flip side is that snow is sitting on a bit of a problematic base and good decision making in terrain selection is mandatory.
It's been awesome to see all the great info sharing in regards to these concerns, the temptation to take greater chances when we are powder starved is pretty tempting but just not worth it.. with Patience we will get back on those lines we day dream about.
The way I look at it is if we could hit every line on our bucket list every time we roll it would just normalize the experience. What I like about each winter is how weather patterns, snowfall and winds change features almost daily creating something new to figure out.

Today I headed up into my favourite zone with JF Plouffe ( Helly Hansen Athlete and Guide).

JF alway's takes great shots so I poached him !

Early Morning Light- Tantalus

Day time temps were at record levels so we got an early start and for the most part we would be traveling on the shady North, North East Aspect off of Brohm Ridge.

 Our plan was to head up onto the normal route on Garibaldi and see how the slots were filling in and maybe hit one of the long mellow lines off the Warren Glacier.

Dropping down behind what I refer to as the sharkfin ( not to be confused with the same name on the Neve)  to climb up to Brohm Ridge we traversed over old debris that we suspect ran shortly after the storm a few day's prior. There was some cornice debri so it's possible that is what triggered it. I've been in this area numerous times and have never seen the feature go wall to wall. The crown was approx 50cm and ran down into the drainage 500m path.. A firm reminder the potential for destructive slides even in seemingly benign terrain.

We quickly crossed the bed surface in flat light and carried on up to the Warren Glacier.

Dalton Dome pictured below, slightly different shot location..but you get the idea !

2014

Can you spot the difference--Maybe won't go this year ! 

2012 fat fat fat

So we moved on from this location and headed across the glacier to gain the view of "Garibaldi".. Route finding was straight forward, slots were obvious.

JF Plouffe !

Old projects.... they will alway's be there !

The main face on Garibaldi was well filled, the bergshrund appeared bridged, however a large crown reaching out into the main face was a clear indicator that today was not the day.

 Similar aspect to the large path we walked across earlier in the day !

Image by JF Plouffe-- Chris Christie

Sorry, no images of the debri, or slide paths.. all hiding in flat light, in the shadow's. 

So with a little effort and heads up there is some decent skiing to be had. Use good judgement and go find adventure ! High pressure is rare on the coast and when ambitions are scaled to conditions, it's actually pretty damn good out there.

( The day flew past.. our intention was to dig a pit on the way out at the 1st slide path but I had to fly off to night shift.. stellar day !)

Chris

@mecenvoy

en·voy ˈenˌvoi,ˈänˌvoi/

Definition of envoy : An envoy is someone sent out as a 

messenger to represent another person or group, 

I'm really excited to be part of the Mountain Equipment Co-Ops Envoy program for a 2nd year. The 2013-14 season has been a bit of a slow start with low snow pack averages but that just means more time for trip planning, strength training and being creative in the mountains.  I've been shooting some stock, both stills and video.

 just upgraded my video program and got a Sony FS700. 

Arctic Outflow, High pressure = no snow but results in Ice

The Amassador/Envoy program is in it's 2nd year with 21 Envoy's in a wide range of adventure sport that love sharing their adventures. Check out the profiles here http://www.mec.ca/AST/ContentPrimary/Community/MECEnvoys.jsp  all have incredible stories to tell.
MEC has a new logo and a fresh website with inspirational links with stories and visuals, these include the Outsiders piece  http://outsiders.mec.ca and the new Journal http://journal.mec.ca/#/home As winter continues I will be updating my blog with mountain antics and have a couple of great trips lined up for the season-
Stand by for Pow !

Cheers,

Chris.

Christie 4 Reel !

Here is a quick summary of a few adventures !
Looking forward to many more and story telling through still imagery and progressing in video presentations.
Christie 4 Reel !
Check the link above..

Skip Fall, Bring on Winter !

Fall-Winter 2013

Brands that fuel the stoke !

It feels like it was just yesterday we were experiencing the summer that just kept on giving.

I was thinking about optimal timing to start blogging about the upcoming winter and thought I would hold off until we start seeing the snow line dropping through the  coastal cloud cover.

Mad Dog Camp, Bella Coola !

Oddly enough it happened this week just as the "Sherpa's" were premiering their 2 yr project " Into the mind".


Bella Coola was a highlight of the Sherpas Cinema's segments.

 INTO THE MIND    (link)

They returned for the second year of the project and base camped  in the same location as I had 2 weeks prior to their arrival. I was up there with a small crew doing a story for SBC SKIER   and MEC on Coast Mountains and the impact "Oil and Gas Pipelines" could have on our mountains and oceans interface. The area we camped had the highest concentrations of long, steep couliors I have ever seen. We got a couple of them before a storm ended our ambitions.
We were super fortunate to spend some time in this coastal range, the area offers super technical lines but also many zones that are Heli assisted ski tour friendly. I highly recommend checking in with  BELLA COOLA HELI SKIING.  (link)

Nothing to see here !

Trip Planning Bella Coola Heli sSprot !

What better way to raise the level of stoke in skiers and boarder than forecasts of up to 12 feet at Mt Baker and the release of the most anticipated ski flick I can recall.

Despite the ski gear hanging in storage there really is no off season when thinking about skiing !

Trip planning, connecting with folks in the industry and dreaming about pow in the southern hemisphere. 

I've been super fortunate to have a solid crew who have been progressive in the approach to Mountain Adventure. I've been able to document many of our journey's with my photography. This has been a great launch pad to involve some amazing sponsors in our travels.

This will be my 2nd season with "Mountain Equipment Co-Op's new initiative as "Ski Mountaineer Envoy". (link) MEC ENVOY The recent release of the JOURNAL (link)  filled with inspiring adventures from the Envoy crew !

Hero 3 Head shot !  99 Pures "Going down Big"

The past 2 seasons I've been exclusively skiing on DPS skis. This season I'm super fired up to be part of their new "Mountain Ambassador program. DPS SKIS. (link) 2013-14 ski lineup has me more stoked than ever. 

They have been producing one of the most talked about and respected skis in the industry. The new Pure 3 Technology shows this company based in Salt Lake City takes innovation/progression to the next level and its great to be connected with a brand who's way of life is mountain culture and chasing snow !

The past 2 seasons I've also been using ABS Packs. ABS AVALANCHE PACKS (link) have been in the game longer than anyone and their Vario system is the best in the business  as another tool for safety and matching objectives.

The Goal ! Complicated/technical terrain !

This summer our crew had a few meetings and talked about ambitions for the 2013-14 winter. We are lining up some great missions and have plan "B" to roll with environmental considerations.

 Season enders to the left and right !

Realistically the season on the West Coast does not really start until the end of November. That gives us some time to fine tune our summer fitness and transition into winter with some focussed strength training.
With snow falling in the mountains people are getting amped up. Some are getting out and farming turns. Those that do need to reel in their ambitions and play it safe out there. Glaciers will have very shallow, weak bridging on crevasses. Many other hazards exist waiting to finish your season before it starts. 

It's not far off ! Patience !

Now is a good time to read up on mountain travel and refresh your snow science knowledge, including some avalanche beacon drills. In your spare time you can do dryland Beacon training. Often at work we will hide our lunches on co-workers with beacon stashed next to just to give the thought process a kickstart.
Before we know it, our favorite lines will be filled and we will be exploring new ones beyond those. Until then !! Bring on the seasons new ski films to bridge the gap !
Chris Christie

Good reading and resources for those on the coast !
http://billygoattech.com/
http://www.rogerspass411.ca/
http://www.avalanche.ca/cac/
http://www.wayneflannavalancheblog.com/

Tour De Victoria 2013

In early September the RBC Whistler Grand Fondo took place. MEC was represented by an enthusiastic crew in sharp new Castelli kits. As I am one of the Envoy members as "Ski Mountaineer" I was stoked to be part of the team for the event ! 

Ryders Legendary "Giro D'italia" Pink Jersey for Auction  !

Riding a dedicated lane from Vancouver to Whistler is an incredible experience and a highlight of the course!

After the ride I started looking around for more Fondo’s before hanging up the road bike before I started prepping for winter.  I soon found Ryder Hesejdals 3rd annual Victoria ride was happening on Sept 22.

 It seemed like the perfect excuse to head over to the island and soak up the legendary sunshine they supposedly get.
WWW.TOUR DE VICTORIA

The event has 3 distances of 50km 100km and 140km to match goals of those that want to take part.

The Route !

The 140km option route follows many of the classic roads in the Victoria area with over 1500m of climbing.

The level of organization at these events is impressive; the enthusiasm of those involved is contagious as is the smiles of the many volunteers.

I connected with my good friend and former Iron man champion “Peter Reid” for some pre-event fueling and I tried to squeeze some local’s knowledge of the course.

Before turning in for the night I did some last minute fine-tuning of the bike, then anticipating precipitation, dropped the tire pressure. Before I knew it my alarm jolted me awake and instantly my ears were alert to rain hitting the patio deck..

Gear Junkies !

Essential for long, cold day's in the saddle- Taint Love and Hot Balm !

I must admit it’s difficult not to let rain dampen your spirits however I was surprisingly optimistic for someone rolling out the door at 6am for a 7am start. It was likely due to the combination of a quad shot Americano Peter brewed up and the heat rub I had on my legs.

At the start line it was great to see some familiar faces and folks of all shapes and sizes ! Some were there to be competitive, while others were more goal oriented where finishing an event of this nature was on their bucket list.

Start and finish in front of the Parliment buildings, Victoria !

One of the highlights of Fondo Style events is the staging or seeding area where you can place yourself with an anticipated finish time so the event is low pressure and you can ride with others of similar fitness/skills or ambitions.

After some quick speeches from local celebrities we rolled out to the National Anthem for a 5km neutral start. The 1500 riders in the 140km distance were off for a clockwise circuit around Greater Victoria in an absolute deluge of rain and wind. Even Victoria is not excluded from our coastal mountain monsoons!

Everybody looked dressed for the occasion and it was clear that spirits were not dampened one bit.

The loop took us through some amazing scenic back roads, secondary feeders and bike paths.

The lack of rain throughout the summer created slick roads and being conservative on the corners was key to keeping the rubber side down.

The highpoint of the course was on Munn road with a 6km climb with grades up to 18%. We were rewarded with a fast 8km technical down hill that demanded careful braking and line choices. A rider slid out in front of me and I had to change my line, taking me off the road to what looked like certain carnage. My mountain bike instincts kicked in and I negotiated and weaved through some big rocks before going over the bars at a manageable speed. I quickly ran back to the road, and took off, in a calm but disappointed realization that I might not catch the front group. Riding on my own gave me ideal line choices and little stress from having others around me and after 15 minutes of chasing I reattached to the lead group and started to refuel and put my raincoat back on.

The hill had naturally selected about 20 riders and it seemed this group would roll to the line for a field sprint.

That thought nearly crumbled when we hit a long cross wind section and a few of the local pro’s put their heads down and ramped up the speeds.

Eventually the road turned and we had the wind at our backs, the average speed went up but the effort went down.

As the roads snaked along the coast we still had to have our guard up for slick corners and especially the crosswalk paint ! There were a few crashes, usually at low speed and low consequence but it likely meant losing contact with the front group.

Eventually there was a fairly big crash . Again I nearly hit the deck but was able stay on my feet. I got my chain back on and thought for sure the peloton was gone.

I had one chance of connecting back to the group so I put my head down and  ran through my gears and sat at my aerobic threshold in time trial mode until I caught back onto the tail of the dwindling pack.

Just as I arrived Rob Britton a local pro riding for a British team jumped away on a set of small rollers.

I was in no condition to try to join him so I sat back and tried to recover from my effort.

He slowly pulled away while our speeds fluctuated from lack of pack commitment.

About 10km away from the finish I tried a small move at the base of a climb and ended up dangling about 200 ft in front of the peloton so I shut it down.

Our group was rolling along at a moderately fast pace but essentially Rob was going to take the race if we did not commit.

3 km from the finish the group hesitated a little bit and I decided to have another dig, thinking that if I could make it to the final corners I had a shot at 2^nd.

I immediately opened up a sizable gap, enough to pull it off; or so I thought.

As I turned into Victoria I was faced with a strong head wind. The Peloton was breathing down my neck and with fading legs, I was caught 100m from the finish for 9^th overall.

Sooo close.

 Roger Lee who was also riding under the MEC Banner was 8^th after overcoming some difficulties along the route.

It was awesome to see the continuous stream of riders coming across the line.  It didn’t matter if you were a 50 km or 140km participant the achievement of taking part in the Tour and taking on the personal challenge was what brought a great cycling community together !

Chris