Cold Smoke at Snow Water

As I sit behind this computer scheduling my winter trips, I’m quickly reminded of how fortunate we are to live where we do. Not only do we have five great resorts in our region, but British Columbia and its epic snow are just a snowball’s throw away. The Inland Northwest is truly the gateway to ski euphoria.
I’m like many other passionate skiers — I can’t wait for winter and her offerings. More than 20 years ago I was fortunate enough to experience a British Columbia powder trip, and I have been chasing freshies ever since.
 

Each season my buddies and I venture north to the eccentric town of Nelson, B.C., which is, in my book, the heart of powder skiing. This Snow Belt gets hammered each year with more than 500 inches of some of the lightest, driest snow to be found anywhere. The locals call their snow “Kootenay Cold Smoke.”
Just a few kilometers west of Nelson is Snowwater Heli-Skiing, run by Patric Maloney and Maria Grant. They guide riders through impressive terrain via either an A-Star Helicopter, which will seat four of your best friends, or a 12-person biodiesel snowcat (for inclement weather days). Their tenure is more than 150,000 skiable acres, and they play in three different ranges: the Selkirk, Bonnington and Valhalla mountain ranges.
Patric grew up playing and skiing in these mountains, and he comes from a forestry background. How does that effect skiing powder, you ask? Well, over the years, Patric and his chainsaw-wielding crew have been thinning and trimming away the underbrush making for some insane tree skiing.
With big, wide-open bowls, steeps that will make a goat cringe, and some of the best tree skiing to be had, Snowwater attracts a veritable Who’s Who of skiing. Each season Snowwater is like a revolving door for some of the world’s best skiers, like big-mountain skier Dan Treadway, Ian McIntosh, Micah Black and Sage Cattabriga-Alosa, to name just a few. The skiing gets them here, but it’s the hospitality that brings them back year after year. The place has an incredible vibe.
This powder sanctuary was just a dream for Patric and Maria when they built the lodge, but now with more than seven seasons under their belt, Snowwater has come to fruition. The main timber-frame lodge, built by Patric and a few of his friends back in 1994, is now the dining and lounging area. There are also now two more large four-bedroom cabins: Big Spruce, which sleeps eight, and Little Spruce, which sleeps four. All lodges are warmed by radiant floor heating, which makes walking on the floors a dream after a long day of skiing. Guests can kick back on the oversized leather couches or take a soak in the wood-fired hot tub while enjoying a cold Kokanee after skiing. If you just can’t get away from civilization, there’s high-speed wireless Internet access. Most of my friends use this service not for keeping in touch with work but to e-mail pictures from the day’s skiing — just to make sure their buddies back home know exactly how much fun they’re having. Kind of like pouring salt into the wound.
With a full-blown chef on staff, Snowwater offers some of the best gourmet meals you’ll ever encounter, with entrées like five-spice green tea-smoked duck or, my personal favorite, bison tenderloin wrapped with smoked wild boar. Make sure you leave room for dessert, like the phyllo-wrapped banana with house-made Madagascar vanilla ice cream, a crowd favorite. The food is definitely five-star.
One of the biggest advantages to Snowwater’s heli-skiing is that they guarantee you’re going to ride every day. If the weather is too bad for flying in the bird, then Patric will get you loaded up into the biodiesel snow cat for some of the sickest tree skiing you’ll ever experience. Being able to arc turns at full speed through old growth forests is something to behold. It’s recommended that you be an advanced skier and in good physical shape. Be ready to charge hard all day long.
Powder skiing in British Columbia is something every passionate skier or rider needs to do at least once. Once is all it takes, and you’re hooked for life.
I’m off chasing the endless powder run.

For more information on Snowwater, visit www.snowwater.com or call 866-722-7669 (SNOW).