Sunshine Meadows is only one kilometre-ish into the backcountry, from the Sunshine Village ski area. It really is one of the most beautiful places on earth, summer or winter! It's one of my special places.
Yesterday, was one of those blue sky days where you just have to get out there and enjoy! The backcountry skiing right now, is not that nice for making turns. However, it is always nice to just get out and go touring! So that's what we did. A round trip of 4 hours to work off the turkey dinner and booze. I felt sluggish (hello, food hangover) but was certainly invigorated!
Here's some photos of my amazing day. Sunshine is only a 20 min. drive, a 10 min. cable car ride, a 7 minute chairlift and a 10 minute walk away from my house. That's only 47 minutes to access PARADISE!! Oh yeah and then you have to go walking on your skis for a few hours to access the goodies, we were out for 4 hours.
18 comments:
What a gorgeous bluebird day you had! Love your BEAUTIFUL pictures. Banff is definitely on our "A" list of places to visit one of these days!!!
K
Those pictures are gorgeous. And you make a lovely elf.
Thanks for the photos! They're stupendous!
Hey, nice receptacle. I lost one of mine. I realized you can never have too many gloves and "receptacles" during winter. Nice to have them in your car, in every pack, and sometimes in certain jackets so that you always have them - and can always grab clean ones.
It's beautiful and sunny here, too. Taking my son camping in the snow this weekend.
Hi Everyone...
I have drank way too much coffee sitting in my kitchen all afternoon (while leslie is out on a solo 3 hr run), so I feel like 'hijacking' Leslie's Blog and answering for her..Ha Ha!
Hi Steve and Kathleen...Yes, I do go 'OOH AHH' at your pictures as well..love where you live, and can't wait to run the "Trans Rockies" in the Colorado mountains this August.
If you get out here, let us know so we can show you around ours!
Danni...
Hope you're having fun in Arizona. The desert run pics make me want a day of clear trails to play on!
JeffO...!
Did you know Leslie's 'Native Canadian Name' is 'Leslie Many Touques' . This is based on her amassesd collection of over 50 of the things, and an inability to pass a touque rack in a store without purchasing one more...sales are especially damaging! Is there a support group out there for husbands dealing with this type of behavior??!
(For our American readers...
Touque = Winter Hat)
Happy New Year Everyone!
Keith
It will be good to meet you at the Diablo. I heard it is a tough one and Sarah and Wendell (RDs)are great at putting on a first rate event. Hopefully it will be cooler this year for the Northern folk.
Amazing photos!!!
Hi Leslie! What kind of equipment do you use for "ski touring"? I'd like to get some equipment for backcountry skiing, but have no clue about it. I only have x-country equip- the skinny kind for skiing on groomed trails. I live in the middle of nowhere Montana where there isn't a ski shop for advice. I snowshoed for a few hrs today, but am already getting a bit tired of snowshoeing and would like to get out on skis more often. I would love any tips you could give me on the ski equipment. Thank you!
what camera do you use trail trash? and is it waterproof and shockproof?
I'm not sure about the "receptacle tip"...so I'll go with 'tuque' or 'toque' or as you say "touque"...and just in case you're curious, check out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuque
...I think I've had too much food...Great 'backyard' photos!
pv
Haaaaaaay! I've been hijacked! Silly boy....
I thought y'all would enjoy those photos - they were extra special!
Jeffo, thank you for being accepting of my touque addiction and Keith, thank-you for the new touque that I got for Christmas. It is just what a Banff girl needs!
Hi Danni! Hope you had a swell Christmas in Arizona!
Hiya Evan! Welcome aboard.
Hi Elizabeth! Thanks for the question!
The type of ski you buy depends on what you are going to do with it! Mine are specifically for descending and making turns. So they are a heavy rig, basically downhill skis with heavy duty Alpine Touring bindings. The Fritchi Freeride. What an AT binding does is allow you to walk and tour with a "free heel" and then be able to lock down the heel and turn them into a downhill rig. When you are ski touring you are using your skis with "skins" which allow you to ascend just about anything, then you take the skins off and enjoy some turns!
I don't know much about other types of touring skis, but I understand if you wanted to venture out a little further you would want a beefier boot that supports and a ski with a wider platform than traditional cross country skis, with an edge on it! Hope this helps!
Where in Montana do you live??
Hiya Hart! Are you still in the market for a new camera?? Honestly, it is the scenery that is soooo damn impressive, not my photography skills. I just use an old Sony Sureshot.
Howdy Phil!
Wikipedia is aaaaawesome! Thanks for the receptacle "tip".
Leslie Many Touques
Hi Leslie!
I live in Wisdom, MT with 4 dogs and one husband. It sounds like you have a great Keith and a lot of buddies to hit the trail with! I am out on the trails with my dogs everyday, and that makes me happy!
I checked out the Freeride binding on backcountry.com, sounds good. Any suggestions for skis and boots? I haven't downhilled for like 10 yrs, but I remember the boots use to kill my feet. Looks like ski equip has really improved since then.
I thought you might get a dog for Christmas? No?
As awesome as that looks, I'm very much enjoying the lack of snow and sub-zero temperatures of Northern California right now. We ended up at Pacific Catch (the location in the Marina) tonight. Delicious! Thanks for the tip.
Or a Conehead...Saturday Night Live, remember them?
Beautiful snow. Actually, I WISH we had snow here in NoCal where I'm at. Winter is boring here.
OK ... it's pretty. I get that. What I can't understand is how you subject your body to the weather conditions you do. I'm the first to admit that I'm a softie when it comes to cold weather, but I still think Canadians are seriously NUTS. In a good way, though.
Enjoy your XC skiing and snoeshoeing - it's probably great base training for ultras in the summer, right?
Great Pics Leslie!!! :)
They just made my day!!! :)
Send us some snow over...its damn cold and sunny over here - but NOOOO snow! :(
Have happy new year! I'll try giving you acall in the new year!!!
That's how nicknames come about RT! If Sunshine wasn't so danged appropriate RT just might stick.
I'll just say WOW regarding your xc ski adventure. Please keep sharing!
Happy New Year!!!!!
Wow! So pretty pretty!! I love your backyard! But I am not in love with the cold anymore. Maybe if I lived there I could get used to it....Keep those photos coming - they're so awesome!
Hi Elizabeth,
I googled your little Montana town and you certainly are in a quiet corner of Montana! I do have a great Keith, and I'm his biggest fan! These days I get lots of quality time, with other peoples dogs. Banff is a mountain town and mountain folks like their puppy dogs! We are very content with our lack of dog right now, just enjoying a little freedom Post-Norman.
Hi K!
Hope you are enjoying a super-fantastic holiday!
Hi CG,
Hell yes, I remember the Coneheads. You and I are the same age! When's your birthday??
Hello Ex-Nighbor, Ms.Anna In Germany! I'm sending snow your way right now.
Hi Donald!
You know what is craaaaazier than running in the cold and snow???
RUNNING ON A ROAD!!!! bwaaa ha ha!
Hi Eric and Laura!
Hope all is well in the PNW, so is your snow gone yet?!
I love my backyard, too!! That was a special day in the Sunshine.
Is there even room in here for more comments...you're a super star!!
I got lost back in those meadows in late spring 97, fresh snow hid the end of the circular route we had chosen and there were a tense few hours while slowly navigating our very inexperienced asses back to safety. I was never so happy to see a damn chairlift!
Love the pics, as ALWAYS!
Happy New Year!
GR
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