90
|
ESCARPMENTMAGAZINE
.
CA
AUTUMN
/
EARLY WINTER
2015
L-R: Cara, Dak and JasperWilliamswithWendy Brookbank at the top of Spankey’s Ladder
Arguably, someof thebest yearsofmy lifewere theones I spentGuid-
ingandCoachingwith ‘ExtremelyCanadian’,a steep skiingoperation
based inWhistler.Founderandbigmountainskiing legend,PeterSmart
handpicks his coaches andonce you are inducted into the institution
that is ExtremelyCanadian, you are forever in the brethren. Being in-
vited to join the ranks is a rareoccurrence, and inorder tobe consid-
ered, one must have a vast understanding of snow conditions,
avalanche training, coaching experience and of course, know both
mountains like thebackofyourhand.Withover8,171acresof skiable
terrain, amile-high vertical of 1,609m/5,280ft, 200marked runs, 37
lifts, 16alpinebowls, and3glaciers, this isnot aneasy task.
I was honoured tobe inducted in the early2000s andwhen I wasn’t
touring the globewith client groups todestinations like Las Leñas, Ar-
gentina; Champéry, Switzerland; Alagna, Italy; & Portes Du Soleil,
France; I was coaching two-day steep skiing clinics atWhistler Black-
comb.When I heard that ExCan is nowoffering Family Ski Clinics, I
knew Jasper wouldget themost out of his bigmountain experience if
we hada thirdparty step in to nudge hima littlewhen the steepgot
steeper.My formercolleagueand friendWendyBrookbank,aWarren
Miller ski-lebrity, was happy tooblige andbrought us to some of my
favourite spotsonBlackcomb, including theBlowHole, Spanky’s Lad-
der, RubyBowl, DiamondBowl and tomy faithful secret stash: Calvin
&Hobbes.Wendyhasawaywithadultsandkidsalike, and isable to
gentlypush thempast their comfort zoneswithout incident.
I couldn’t havebeenmoreproudof how Jasper handled theexposed
terrain and the unfamiliar snow. By three o’clockDak and I were ex-
haustedanddreamingofGLCnachos,but JasperandWendydragged
us to the iconicSudanCouloir foronemore run. Jaspernailed it. Icried.
Weenjoyed the final dayof our trip inVancouverwhere it was +20°
andbluebird.Withourpowder smilesstill firmly inplace,wepeeledoff
our layers and switchedgears. Likeall smart touristswe rentedbikes,
packedapicnicandspent thebetterpartof theday ridingaroundStan-
ley Park’s SeaWall and throwinga football aroundat ThirdBeach.
Later we caught awater taxi over toGranville Island for treats and
chocolatecell phones (strangebut true).
There is something tobe said for playing tourist in a familiar place. I
imagined thisvacationwouldbea tripdownmemory lane, and itwas,
in away, but we also created newmemories, with new experiences,
and,of course,withnewmembersofour family.Surewegot luckywith
theweather,but isn’t thatalwaysagamblewhenplanningavacation?
Tropical locales have hurricanes, andmountain ranges can have dry
seasons. TheSea toSky corridor has enjoyed sustainedgrowth, infra-
structure and tourism since the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter
Games, and if youhaven’t visited this part of Canada, nowyou know
justa littleaboutwhatyou’remissing.Playing tourist therewasmore fun
thanweever couldhave imagined.
|E|
My former colleague and friend
Wendy Brookbank, aWarrenMiller
ski-lebrity, brought us to some of
my favourite spots on Blackcomb,
including the Blow Hole, Spanky’s
Ladder, Ruby Bowl, Diamond Bowl
and to my faithful secret stash:
Calvin & Hobbes.
ESCARPMENT
®
TRAVELS |
playing tourist
