Nelson: Coldsmoke Powder Festival

Dad and I

 I just returned to Whistler from a road trip with my dad to Nelson. My father wanted a break from work and we had an opportunity to stay with one of his old friends just outside of Nelson for the weekend. Our trip coincided with two things: a decent storm system, and the Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Festival. The first day I spent criusing the mountain and trying to get my ankle working again after a fall last Saturday, it wasn't snowing a whole lot so I didn't mind the mellowness. Whitewater is an old school steep tree resort a lot like Red Mountain but with a much more consistent slope, and bootpack accessible ridges behind it, not to mention a bit more snowfall. It also has amazing food.

Kootenay Lake

I didn't get to explore Nelson much, but I did enjoy the sight of the early 20th century buildings while passing through, not to mention the coffee. The second day we woke up to 30 cms of fresh Kootenay powder. My ankle felt strong and I got faceshots all morning, not to mention the opportunity to meet a few of the companies hanging out at the demo area. Later in the day I skied in the PowderKeg Slopestyle, a grassroots style event that had skiers and boarders competing against one another. The 15-18 category threw down huge tricks (1080's, double backflips) and despite landing very few, it was just good to watch. My first run was a total mess, with no landed tricks I was considering skipping the second heat and going skiing instead. I went against that partially just because the snow in the venue was so deep. My second run worked, I spun a true 3 off a sizable cliff, stomped it and got a couple waist deep turns in.

the trip home

That day and the next we continued to even more snow. The awards were on Sunday and to my surprise I ended up on the podium. The Coldsmoke Festival is a great thing to be in Whitewater for. It's a really good example of how personal and friendly the ski industry is. I definitely want to come back next year. I'm back in Whis now, and it's really good- so is the forecast.

The photos I took on this trip were fairly impromptu, perhaps even contrived. I just didn't seem to have any time to set up a good shot. Whistler village leaves something to be desired for photos but I'd like to bring my SLR on the hill and get some action shots with a good crew. I'm more interested in taking some quality shots on my upcoming trip to Lake Louise (airport photos) as well as taking photos with my friends in Vancouver. The next time I come across some cash I'm going to pick up a portrait lens.

Also, expect some good shots I grabbed up in Whitewater up in the next few days. I will say no more.