After a two-week journey through the Kootenay Mountains into the Rockies, the groundhog seems to have been on point with his recent weather predictions. There surely is no lack of powder in the Kootenays and Rockies. From roadside lines to resort cliffs, the snow has stayed good up here days after storm cycles.
I recently traveled north from Nelson to Revelstoke, BC with Andrew Hardingham and Revy loc Sean Barrett in search of roadside lines. We camped in Hardingham's Bohler trailer and woke up every morning to pillow lines and cliff drops. Other than the classic local grandma driving by excited to see someone taking advantage of what their lonely roads have to offer, we were by our lonesome and that's how wanted it. No powder hounds fighting for fresh lines, or patrol yelling at you to stay in bounds, these zones were ours and ours only for the week.
Our journey continued to Revelstoke to recharge for a day or two and plan our next move. After a couple nights in Revy waiting for the roads to open after a heavy storm cycle, Hardingham and I headed north to his home of Banff in search of blower pow and bluebird skies. After one of the sketchiest drives of my life- black ice, aggressive truck driver, zero visibility, and roadside avalanches, we pulled into Banff with the storm settling down just in time for our arrival. We woke to blue skies and bottomless powder. With local Hardingham knowledge, we got it good for 3 straight days after the storm and took full advantage of the resort riding at Lake Louise and Sunshine Village.
Stay tuned for more updates during miracle March in North America as I travel to Trout Lake to meet up with a bunch of boarders that haven't used the word binding in their vocabulary in a very long time.
Words & photos: Alex Nawrocky
Van life | Photo: Alex Nawrocky
