The combination of old and new friends and an absolutely stellar opening crew of returning staff got the 2012 Boulder Hut ski season off to a great start.  We flew in January 15th to find no dull moments. We shoveled out the nearly constant snowfall that ultimately accumulated to over a metre of a new and roughly 2 metre total snow depth. For two weeks we enjoyed the waxing of the British Columbia moon, under fabulously bright nights.

Thanks to the opening crew’s great determination and ingenuity, we fired up the upgraded hydroelectric system. A new hydro-generator has increased our electricity production. Not only can Mark breathe a little deeper knowing our system is solidly revamped – but we can also keep up with increasing power demands.

The first guests of the season were the two Canadian Avalanche Association Instructors and their 12 students for the intense Industry Level 1 Avalanche Course. Lots of fantastic data gathered during the week helped us to deem this a currently very stable snowpack. Great for ski conditions! We hosted a self-guided group our second week and had fun naming a few more runs. Bluebird days and still stable conditions made for some great ski adventures. Currently in our third week of operation, we are now guiding and catering a mixed group of long-time returnees, new clients and even some new to ski touring!

We continue to get great guest feedback regarding not only our incredible terrain but also our genuine hospitality. We are looking forward to our European clients next week for an Introductory half-week trips. We have been offering these for nearly five years now to extremely satisfied clients. Still to come are also more guided, catered trips as well as a Women’s Trip and Family Week.

We Hope to See You Soon at the Boulder Hut!

Mark and Sarah Yancey

Women’s Week Debuts at the Boulder Hut

Well we finally got it all sewn up. Working with ACMG Guide Anne Keller, we successfully got the first all women’s week filled up at the Boulder Hut.
Anne has worked hard to get this week going and she will be sure to give the gals a great week of skiing. Anne has been to the Boulder Hut before, so she has seen and skied some of the secrets we have here. I tried to get her to hire me as her assistant. Ya know, wear a wig and maybe something in teal, but she wouldn’t have any of it. She’s bringing in her assistant Emily to fill my spot. Bummer. It was going to be a lot of work helping to guide a group of 12 fit mountain woman, but I was willing to take on the task. “Slap” says Sarah. She said if anyone is going out with them, it will be her!
It promises to be a great week, and I look forward to having Anne bring guests in the future. Hopefully we can make this a yearly event!
Looking forward to meeting everyone on this week. See you soon!

From Owner/Operator – Mark Yancey
The Joy of Powder Skiing

Am I getting older? Do I have a new sense of mortality? Is my life too simple? Am I not serious enough? It could be any number of things I suppose, but I am not going “Extreme”.
Seems like everywhere I turn, I see some angle of extreme. Extreme marathons, extreme bike races, extreme swimming, extreme lunar orbiting, extreme squirrel hunting…Extreme skiing. What next? Noting the tragedy of the first North American avalanche fatality this 2011-2012 winter, I reflect on what got me into this business in the first place. After surviving some pretty stupid ski objectives without any knowledge of my surroundings followed by a fifteen year ski patrolling career, I pursued the ski guiding stream. I then found out how much I didn’t know. My continuing education from avalanche and guides courses as well as extensive time in the field have brought me to a new place of harmony.
I enjoy skiing: face shots, reading the terrain, sensing a suspicious snowpack, the curiosity of whether a particular line goes, smooth silky turns on a cold afternoon in the shade: all of it. I really enjoy the ski touring flavour of skiing. Earning my turns, full lungs, burning legs, conversation on the uphill, powder pig behaviour on the downhill. Powder,powder, powder! Skiing is fun.
Now, put that fun in an environment where you have jagged 9000’ peaks surrounding you and sculpted smooth moraine covered in vanilla ice cream with just one, OK maybe two sets of tracks down it. Blue sky and cold days with shadows making pictures on the complex terrain. No one else. You might feel like you are one of those extreme skiers skiing down a 60 degree, 2 meter wide couloir, making two, maybe three turns. You really get the sense of being IN the mountains.
As for those folks committing to serious extreme lines, most of them are great athletes with a lot of time and experience skiing objectives like those. It takes a master at his/her craft to attempt, let alone succeed on some of the descents performed these days. There is something rewarding about skiing challenging terrain. I still like to get my heart pumping by taking some educated risk. But whatever it is, age, mortality, I have turned to quality. Snow quality. Ski partner quality. Quality of conversation. Guiding quality. Ski quality.

For me, I’ll forever enjoy noodling down 35 degrees for 1500 feet making what I believe to be the nicest turns I made all season. I could do that over and over again.
It’s a pretty cool thing we do. Ski.  Here’s to a great, safe ski season for all.  May you be blessed with an abundance of snow in the face, while still on your skis, of course?  All the best during the Holidays!
Mark Yancey, Owner/Operator Boulder Hut Adventures

Fall Work Party September 25th to October 9th, 2011

Boulder Hut Adventures owner / operator Mark Yancey and a dedicated crew of friends and past clients recently made the annual fall trek into the Boulder Hut. Eight hardy, backcountry skiing enthusiasts came and went during the trip.  Beautiful fall colors and a hint of La Nina presented themselves during the two weeks in the backcountry. The larches wore their fall golden splendor and a dusting of snow kept the crew motivated for this year’s fall projects.   The weather varied during the trip with one week of sunshine and one week of rain, sleet and some snow. Most mornings had ground frost.  To be certain – winter is not far ahead of us!

Here is a teaser of how winter is shaping up at the Boulder Hut!

All told, the crew put up enough firewood to keep the Boulder Hut’s six woodstoves stoked for the upcoming season – including the high country HOT TUB! They also tore down the old firewood shed in preparation for a new SAUNA site coming in 2013. This year, Boulder Hut Adventures will not only feature their famous (infamous) hot tub but a temporary sauna for relaxing after a glorious day of powder skiing. The Boulder Hut is also pleased to report the installation of a new micro hydro-generator that operates in the spring fed creek adjacent to the village. This new system has increased power generating capacity 5 times over the previous system! Now, when the batteries reach full charge – a new diversion load heater will kick on in the bunk house. No more midnight stoking of the stove!

La Nina 2011 left her mark on the summer trail system at the Boulder Hut with a 100 meter long avalanche debris field. The crew cleared the trail and hopes they are spared that job for at least a few years! While in the field, they saw 3 bull elk on Mathew creek side of the pass and two mountain goats on Mt. Lavesque. Rosie (our avalanche rescue dog) treed a large porcupine – thank goodness the porcupine took that route!

Mark and Sarah would like to thank the crew for an excellent week of work and conversation around the dinner table. A big thank you to the Mountain Range catering company near Kimberley, B.C., for the great meals. A return trip is anticipated in November – contact Mark and Sarah if you would like to join them.

If you are thinking about a backcountry skiing adventure this year – contact us for dates! Don’t delay the phone is ringing and we are filling up!