Revelstoke (BC) - Snowboarding Forum

KIRKRIDER · 03-21-2010, 04:33 PM

Reveslstoke (BC) must be a fantastic place when they get those 18 meters of average. This time was after a 3 weeks dry spell. Long runs, and quite a bit of hiking to get to the powder. I had WAY more snow here in my backyard at Kirkwood. But bottom line it was a chance to ride with my brother and some very old friends form Rome.

After arriving in Calgary I rented a car with my brother and drove 5 hours to Revy.The road is not bafd, narrow at times and free of snow, but be sure to check the conditions before you leave, we rented a compact Toyota and it was fine without snow.
The next day we were up on the mountain, cold icy morning that pushed us to hike a traverse to get to the North side. About 6 turns in the powder later we paid the price and had to hike back toward the groomers on waist deep snow, then back on a steep and mogulish trail that went down the woods, opening up in a long boarderX-like run, and some flats (wax it!) and back to the gondola.

Revy is a huge mountain when it is all open, but we had only the upper part. So despite the tons of backcountry gear we had (ARVA for everybody, showels, probes, radios, and some airbags) we saw very little deep stuff. There are quite a few of long flat stretch, not so fun on a board, and not so fast on packed snow....I don't want to be there when the snow is deep...you need to pick your runs and avoid them.
By 12 the snow would give up a little, turning the groomed runs in VERY fast tracks... packed powder and this sand-like 5cm of shaved ice made for a carving and "bombing" paradise. I never went so fast on my board. The edge-hold carving is impressive for a non-alpine board, and there was no way to cartch an edge...flat riding paradise.

We met some locals at the end of the first day, that introduced us to a common froend...KUSH...

that made the sow-less trip much more fun. The CAT was booked up all week, and they managed to get a heli saturday, when I had to leave. I called them and they told me it was unreal. Next time.

The town itself is nice, plenty of places to eat, shops, and all the typical amenities of a mountain community. The landscape around it is gorgeous.

Getting there:
5 hours from Calgary, but coming back I was able to book a shuttle to Kelowna, (2:5 hrs) fly to Seattle from there and then to San Francisco.
Check the road conditions before you leave Calgary...we had no snow at all, but be sure you get an AWD, the road to get there is dangerous, the last 100Km, and the traffic of huge truks is massive.

roremc · 03-25-2010, 03:16 PM

Thanks for the detailed report. Revi has had a shit season sadly. I have only been when its been waist deep in the trees off the lifts but I can imagine it would suffer without fresh stuff. Hopefully you get a chance to see it in its powdery glory!

KIRKRIDER · 03-25-2010, 04:08 PM

You bet! I had an idea of the good conditions...as soon as you stepped off boundary you were knee deep in snow. Tha place in conditions must be mindblowing. Some of the 3Diamnod runs were a blast with thast fast snow as well..and the rest of the group got to finally book a chopper the day I left. They went on a " easy" slope, the other Heli service shut down for the season bec of avanlanche danger, so most of the heli terrain ust have been dangerous already.

roremc · 03-25-2010, 06:42 PM

Yeah there have been quite a few snowmobile deaths there this winter so it makes sense that they would not fly them up onto the steep stuff.

KIRKRIDER · 03-26-2010, 11:34 AM

On the 17th I heard about an avalanche that involved 200 snowmobilers...17 wounded and 3 dead. The whole mountain was in SAR mode.

Quote:

Originally Posted by roremc

Yeah there have been quite a few snowmobile deaths there this winter so it makes sense that they would not fly them up onto the steep stuff.

brownSnow · 04-20-2010, 01:39 PM

gotta love that hike back out of the bowl (by the looks of it, after smoking a bowl)

KIRKRIDER · 04-20-2010, 05:51 PM

One word...KUSH...

Met this guys up on the mountain smoking at the end of the day...asked, and we got lucky..

Quote:

Originally Posted by brownSnow

gotta love that hike back out of the bowl (by the looks of it, after smoking a bowl)

m_jel · 06-13-2010, 03:03 PM

looks like you had better snow than i had when i was there. the first day wasn't too bad, there was a bit of fresh left over in the trees from a storm the week before. after that it was basically a search for fresh everyday, found some kush and that was that. nevermind a heli or cat, i'd just love to be there after a nice snowfall and get to track out the place myself

06-13-2010, 03:03 PM	#8 (permalink)
m_jel Veteran Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Pickering Posts: 574	looks like you had better snow than i had when i was there. the first day wasn't too bad, there was a bit of fresh left over in the trees from a storm the week before. after that it was basically a search for fresh everyday, found some kush and that was that. nevermind a heli or cat, i'd just love to be there after a nice snowfall and get to track out the place myself __________________ redbubble.com/people/mkelly06 snowyunicornlove.blogspot.com

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03-25-2010, 03:16 PM	#2 (permalink)
roremc Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Banff, Alberta Posts: 1,107	Thanks for the detailed report. Revi has had a shit season sadly. I have only been when its been waist deep in the trees off the lifts but I can imagine it would suffer without fresh stuff. Hopefully you get a chance to see it in its powdery glory!

03-25-2010, 04:08 PM	#3 (permalink)
KIRKRIDER Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 2,212	You bet! I had an idea of the good conditions...as soon as you stepped off boundary you were knee deep in snow. Tha place in conditions must be mindblowing. Some of the 3Diamnod runs were a blast with thast fast snow as well..and the rest of the group got to finally book a chopper the day I left. They went on a " easy" slope, the other Heli service shut down for the season bec of avanlanche danger, so most of the heli terrain ust have been dangerous already.

03-25-2010, 06:42 PM	#4 (permalink)
roremc Veteran Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Banff, Alberta Posts: 1,107	Yeah there have been quite a few snowmobile deaths there this winter so it makes sense that they would not fly them up onto the steep stuff.

04-20-2010, 01:39 PM	#6 (permalink)
brownSnow Senior Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: toronto Posts: 159	gotta love that hike back out of the bowl (by the looks of it, after smoking a bowl)