"Canadia, ...'ey!"

Perfect groomers to start 2012.

On New Years day 2012 we found ourselves at Silver Star, BC, mildly hungover after witnessing some serious Canadian craziness going down the night before. Our bodies were still squealing complaints after leaving 30C Galapagos only a few days before. But with us arrived the snow, it had been puking most of the week before we arrived.

Happy landings in BC, 'ey! 

The plan for our first 2 days at Silver Star was to remember how to board and adapt to the cold...the sugar coating was just a bonus.

Even though the resort only has a couple of lifts, there seemed to be tones of pistes cut into the trees and there was no chance that we could ride everything in the 2 days. It was also really difficult to choose which run to hit next and as soon as the lift disappeared from site we were often alone to look for trouble. Some locals told us that the double diamond slopes might have been over graded, but they still managed to blow our eyes wide open. Steep and gnarly!

As our first cat trip approached, we kept asking ourselves what we should expect, but really had no idea what it was all about. While recovering our bodies and minds 5 days later, we do have a better idea, but still find it difficult to truly comprehend. WOW, POW, WOW!!!

Mustang is all about 2 things: first tracks and as much as possible there of. 

We had a super team to share it with, our fast cat Carlos and the Mustang lodge, which is buried about 2hrs from the nearest tarred road.

I think that it is fair to say that in the 4 days that we spent at Mustang, we rode more powder and first tracks than in all the seasons that we have been boarding. Wrap that package with incredible terrain, really cool people and guides, an awesome lodge with 5 star feeding and the stories from the backpacks. Mustang offers more than 100 different runs, on 1 day we managed to ride 14 of them. Although we didn't see the sun much, we did get new snow every day. 

Simone and the shark fins, Showtime entrance with good things to come, Ali spotting her line.

Carlos digs his way up some serious slopes. In the end he couldn't make it
up this one as the snow was too soft. A second cat had to be brought in to
fetch us from the top. 

Throughout the whole week here we have been confronted with new vocabulary: fall line, spine, cutblock, snorkel-deep, avi training, tree buddy, tail guides...it never dumps in Canada, it pukes...then you need to drink it blue...you get the shrinkies if you back down...chutes are good, but say no to cracks and cornices;  huckville and bootertown are places that everyone should visit...and everyone loves faceshots, blowers and groomers. 

Stomping a run just behind the lodge.

Home Run: I ate it properly on this drop. 

Another pickup after another run. 

Two days into our stay at Mustang we were joined by a has-beens film crew, who came up to do a shoot for Ski magazine. After we packed out the lodge shotski, they followed with their custom designs and things got a tad out of hand. 

The shots may have helped ease the pain of 2 days of riding, but didn't help the head the next morning. Owen, our cat driver looking calm while Ted, Ali, Simone and I figure out how this works.  

By the 3rd day the temperature dropped and the visibility improved. This added up to incredible snow and the possibility to ride the higher lying terrain. So a new level of craziness rolled through our runs.

Ted opens the delinquent (according to JP) spine as
Richie and I watch from the top waiting for our turn.

Getting tight in the trees.

When in Rome: Coliseum (left) and Hail Caesar (right)
offered some serious smiles. Gladiator (middle) only 
opens about once a year.

By the time we finally left Mustang we were both completely exhausted, and looking forward to resting our aching muscles. But as we climbed into bed we still couldn't wipe the silly smiles off of our faces.   

Bye, bye Mustang Powder... we hope to see you soon!