Early booking is a must for a hut trip in BC.
With the northern hemisphere winter almost drawing to a close, it's a time most start to look at options for next year's trips. There are still ski hills open for sure, but for the majority of ski tourers, this is bike and hiking season. Planning a ski trip can be difficult. Road trip? Big resort? There are many options to be had. But, as we're a backcountry site, we'll focus on the dream trip for most of us, Backcountry lodges and huts.
With a myriad of options here in British Columbia, it's important to nail down what you're after as a group. Prices can be high for fully catered and guided options, but a large number of lodges offer self-guided and self-catered options for those on a bit more of a budget.
You can find all the options for touring lodges in BC here. The majority are heli in, so be aware of weight limits. Having spent a week at Powder Creek Lodge guided and catered a few years ago, I can say that unless your group is incredibly familiar with the terrain and lodge, it's definitely worth paying extra for the guides and cooking staff to make sure you have the best bang for your buck on what can be a trip of a lifetime. You may only get to go once, so make it worth it.
On the other end of the luxury spectrum are the Backcountry huts. Simple shelters, often just with a sleeping platform above the kitchen area, and usually accessed by skins, these are the cheapest way to have the experience of sleeping at the bottom of the skin track bar camping. Huts such as Ripple Ridge and Lightning strike cabins at Kootenay pass sell out quickly, but if you get your timing right, they can be every bit as good as a self-catered and self-guided lodge.
Self-guided ski touring trips involve a lot of preparation, whichever way you choose to do it. If you're choosing this as a trip for next winter, make sure to check out the ski touring maps of the area you're looking for, as well as the Avalanche Bulletins, double check your gear before you leave—a transceiver that's low on batteries can mean sitting at the hut whilst your crew get amazing turns (being low on food and wine also makes for an unpleasant hut experience).
