Powder in Fernie B.C.

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Yesterday we left delightful Montana and made what will be our last leg of this amazing journey - back over the border back into Canada. We d had an incredible 20 inches of fresh snow over our last 3 days in Whitefish - that made the snowboarding/skiing epic and the drive out interesting to say the least. The obligatory coffee in Whitefish and we climbed aboard our big F250 Truck and headed north. A small detour to Beaver Lake turned into a minor drama as I managed to tap the brake on ice and slip a wheel into soft snow - despite dropping tyres pressures in a hand freezing -15 C, packing cardboard and evergreen tree branches under the wheels, we just buried deeper into the snow. Sarah and the kids coped very well as things began to look like we d have to walk out to the nearest farmhouse 3 miles away for help. Just then 3 lads off ice fishing pulled up in their truck. Sarah managing to dramatise the situation to the extreme let out a large whail "We are Saved". Probably a little exaggerated but the sentiment was correct. They had chains - that mercifully fit our wheels - we placed 2 on the high side tyres and after a stressful couple of minutes the truck regained the road (or more firm snow !). We made it to Beaver lake - had a walk on it with cold and miserable fishermen and left leaving the Salmon and Trout to their chilly pool.

3 pm we made it to Fernie, B.C. - not having been here for 3 years - all seemed as we remembered it - just prettier if possible. A recent snowfall of 70 cm had created havoc for the avalanche teams. 3 out of 5 of Fernie's bowls (Mountain Corridors that feed down into the resort) where so full of snow that they were close for 2 days as teams blew Snow Grenades to set off avalanches and make it safe.

In typical Wilson Style - We arrived just as the bowls opened - noone here as its a monday. Calgary's masses all tucked away in warm offices as we braved -20 C on mountain top to reach the untracked powder. I joined a local called Hugh doing tertiary studies into avalanche control and guiding and felt safer in his prescence. We pushed the boundaries together and hiked up to unridden shutes of the fluffiest powder I have ever ridden. 1000 feet lower Sarah and the kids played in Fernie's tree lined boulevards in a freezing -17C. I joined them for lunch and we skied till lift close - one of the few families braving the elements today.

This has been an amazing journey thus far and it is only just sinking in that we must be off home soon. Friends, Family and Colleagues we miss and look forward to seeing soon. However the memories of dust, red sunsets, starry desert skies, camel scent on dry desert tracks, tracking large elephants close enough to smell their sweat, lion growls in the dead of night, the kids joy at seeing some new animal and its offspring, making contact with friends and family not seen for years, wolves howling as we dig out a truck stuck in snow, intense deadly cold, wet snow, dry snow, ice, winter wonderland, and the many amazing characters we ve met along the way - will keep us energised all throughout 2011. Watchout - many a story to tell over a beer or two... coming home soon

Geoff x.

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Comments

[Wilson Family]

wowo looks COOOOOOOLD!
Hey Wilsons, great to read of some of your adventures... but can't wait to hear some of them first hand. I am heading back up north from Papinbarra to meet with one of my supervisors in the Gold Coast of all places!!! would love to drop by, and stay a day or two (if you are home????, and there is room with the clan 0f course!!) let me know by email... I plan to head north tuesday PM arriving wee hours wednesday lots of love to you all!