"He who seeks shall find" This truism has proven to be true to a large extent on our trip so far. In our search for snow, we found Retired heating engineers, car mechanics who can't help, party mad snowboard pros, the nicest ski resort staff, cool locals and a first timer. Only the much-praised Canadian fresh snow is a master at hiding.
However, this made itself felt in the snow conditions, which soon reduced the downhill options to the north side. This fact and the increasing number of touring skiers meant that the number of untracked descents quickly dwindled. So it was time to look for new territory. A few internet searches and a phone call later, our next destination was decided. A place roughly in the middle of British Columbia on the west coast. The town tried to defy the snowless winter a little and reported a snow cover of four to five meters in the mountains: Terrace BC!
Off to Terrace BC
Before we set off towards the north, however, we wanted to force our gas heating in the camper to work for good. The big search began: Similar to the process of getting the camper money, we were sent from one place to another without really wanting to help us. It was only after several stops that we were directed to a retired camper mechanic, with whose help we were actually able to get the heating working.
With a fully functional camper, we set off on the 1400-kilometre journey. However, a new problem soon became apparent. After a while, our brakes started to lock up. This malfunction forced us to make our first stop in Golden after just 150 km. This trip could still be great. Two days of waiting and a check with the mechanic - who found nothing wrong - later, we were back on the road.
This time, we drove through a national park through the Rocky Mountains to Jasper and from there west towards the coast. This area between the Coast Mountains and the Rocky Mountains is notorious for very cold temperatures. Equipped with a working heater, we plunged into the fight against the cold. However, the shock drove the color out of our faces when the heating gave up the ghost again on one of the really cold evenings. The record cold in the camper is currently minus ten degrees Celsius. Thanks to good sleeping bags, we only had a cold nose when we woke up in the morning.
After five days on the road, we finally spotted a sign at the side of the road that proclaimed "Welcome to Terrace" in large letters. However, it seems we had let the weather from Revelstoke sneak into our luggage. Because while it was still snowing like a bucket before we left Terrace, a huge area of high pressure has been providing the area with sunshine ever since. After an evening meal, we went to bed early so that we were full of energy to explore the new area in the morning.
You can do this either with the help of a helicopter, touring skis or a mini ski resort called "Shames Mountain Resort". We opted for a mixture of the latter two. This is where the differences in the ski cultures of North America and Europe become apparent. After asking us if we were here for the first time, the waitress at the ticket desk ordered a piste patroller to show us the possibilities in the backcountry. This openness and willingness to help is the ski resort's asset and leads to an incredibly relaxed and friendly atmosphere.
Even in powder paradise: Earn your turns
Not entirely convinced by the conditions in the ski area, we started touring again. Here, however, a new problem arises that we are not used to in the Alps. The miserable accessibility. The area around Terrace has an incredible number of interesting mountains and descents and a highway that runs right through it. But unfortunately there are almost no roads that lead to a reasonable starting altitude above the dense forest. Thanks to some locals who gave us tips and took us on tours in this huge area, we still found some very nice descents, one of which was supposedly a first-time experience, and based on the prevailing conditions, the locals and we decided to call this Canadian season an Alpine winter. If you look, you'll always find good snow somewhere. Now, after a good two and a half weeks of almost constant sunshine, a new precipitation front is on the horizon for the first time. But until it really starts to snow, we'll just keep looking.
Text & Pictures: Jonas Blum, Balz Koch & Michi Räthlin
