Steep And Deep:

Finding Paradise In My Backyard

By Pueo Tinglin

I had always wanted to go snowboarding in Alaska. In all the pro ski and snowboard films that feature Alaska’s insane, mountainous terrain, they pay the big bucks for a helicopter ride to the top of the mountain. The helicopter usually then follows them down their run for safety reasons and to get the awesome camera angle. Growing up in the Slocan Valley, I have been spoiled with an abundance of quality snow, but in my mind the “extreme” snowboarding was done only by movie stars on distant peaks.

Until a few years ago, I had figured that one either had to be a professional snowboarder or a millionaire to access the “untracked” slopes of the movies.  I was in the eighth grade when I first went backcountry skiing with my dad and some friends on Airy, a local mountain in the Valhalla Range of the West Kootenays, tucked behind Frog Peak. For me the outing was in preparation for the Valhalla Wilderness Program (VWP) because much of that program involves backcountry skiing and other self-propelled wilderness travel activities. Being thirteen without any backcountry experience, it was one hell of trek up, but when I finally heaved my snowshoes onto the top of that ridge my entire view of the sport was altered forever. There I was standing at the top of a world class run that could have easily been the set of any of my favorite ski films. It was there, looking out on the ocean of clouds and peaks that I realized that you don’t need a helicopter or a fortune to access the best powder in the world, and more importantly, that you don’t even have to go to Alaska. The epic lines I had been dreaming of were, literally, right below my feet, and less than an hour’s drive from my front door.

I have been snowboarding since kindergarten, but my first few turns of that run were like nothing I had ever skied before. As I dipped the tip of my board into the deep, frozen sea of crystals I was held captive by the raw beauty and intensity of the run I was riding. Each turn felt bottomless, as if I were floating down the mountain on a deep fluff of cloud. From the end of that day onward I knew that Alaska would no longer be at the top of my list and instead I would always have a special place in my heart for the peaks, mountains, and valleys of the Kootaneys.

It’s been about four years since I had my first taste of the backcountry and, through the VWP as well as other local connections, I have been able to access much of the our valley’s backcountry terrain. Each time I go I enjoy myself even more and I learn a bit more about our local terrain and snowpack. Without even going up to Alaska I already know that our own backyard pow is just as awesome, if not even better.