The next morning, the same picture. Again, it had snowed 30 cm of the finest Champaign powder overnight and we didn't know whether we were in a freerider's dream world. For us, this meant pure anticipation of another 12 to 14 runs through untracked terrain. For Karl and his guides, however, this meant getting up two hours earlier, digging snow profiles, checking weather data, assessing the avalanche situation and deciding which runs were justifiable for the least risky freeriding possible. A responsible and tough job, but one that is rewarded on the first descent when the lead guide MUST be the first to ski down an untracked slope.
I don't want to tell you any more about the next few days; it would be boring anyway! Same picture and only superlatives. In any case, we were extremely satisfied for days and were sure that we would be going back to the remote Monashee Mountains at some point. The fact that Josh and the other guys snatched the last bookable spots for the next week from under our noses didn't change that, because the weather forecast predicted another dump! More of the finest Canadian Champaign powder...
Conclusion
If you're looking for an adventure with a homely atmosphere and plenty of vertical meters, Tom and Carolyn's Monashee Powder Snowcats are the place to be. The terrain offers a lot of fun, the team has been working together for years, you can tell that everyone enjoys their work and not to forget: The best snow in Canada falls in the Monashee Mountains.
Four days of powder in the Monashee Mountains - the video
Skiing Monashee Mountains, Canada from Baschi Bender on Vimeo.
All pictures in the gallery
Many thanks to Evoc for the support with travel equipment.
