Earlier this month I was fortunate to be invited on what has become an annual trip to Revelstoke, BC. Revelstoke is in the center of the most famous and productive powder skiing area in the world.
Revelstoke has a population of about 7,000 and is located on the Columbia River. The river valley divides the Monashee Mountains on the West and the Selkirk Mountains on the East. These mountains receive an annual average snowfall ranging from 550″ to over 700″ per year.
Multiple heli ski and cat ski operations base out of or near to Revelstoke. Selkirk-Tangiers, CMH, Mica Creek and Mustang Powder are some of the larger operations. World famous backcountry touring lodges also surround Revelstoke including the Durand Glacier Chalet and the Selkirk Lodge. The famous ski touring at Rogers Pass is a one hour drive.
A newly developed ski area, Revelstoke Mountain Resort, has risen up just minutes from downtown Revelstoke. A gondola and two high speed quads service an almost unbelievable 5,600 vertical feet of skiing. For those familiar with Telluride it’s a consistent pitch like the Plunge, and almost three times as long. Pretty sweet cat skiing and side country skiing are adjacent to the resort boundary.
We did two days of heli skiing with Selkirk-Tangiers Heli Ski. STHS is the best. Super pro operation and an unbelievably vast tenure (permit area). The best tree skiing in the world, massive alpine terrain, glaciers, wow. We had a group of 4 skiers and used one of the ASTAR helicopters. Conditions were a 12 on the 10 scale.
Next we spent three days ski touring out of a remote, heli accessed, private cabin in the Selkirks. It was built by three legendary ski pioneers about 30 years ago. Small, funky and in a very kick ass place to go ski touring. The friends I was with have access to this through friendship with the owner/builder.
I’ve been to Revelstoke 7 or 8 times now and have made some good friends. The skiing has always been very good. We have always had great adventures and lots of back country skiing and a super fun shared experience. This years trip was the best yet!
