MOUNTAIN LIFE - Coast Mountains | Winter Spring 2019

22 MLCM WINTER/SPRING 2019 diving into oceans of powder, each turn sending cascading white plumes of cold smoke into the air. This is the quintessential experience everyone reaches for when the snow gods deliver the powder: high speed pow carves. The vibe is high and with one descent in the bag, we are keen to follow Lusti’s lead to the next objective. We meander into the shadow cast by the towering peak above, zig-zagging on the high point of the upward slope towards an opening in the granite wall. Skis and board off, we follow the leader up the chute between lichen-speckled rock walls. The ascent gives us evidence that the snow quality will be pristine on our way back down. We enjoy lunch with a view through the mountain on both sides with the lodge in eye shot as a freckle in the valley. For all the space and snow and time surrounding us, there isn’t any room to question why the Andrews family has made this locale their home away from home and how their passion to share this special place with guests has people returning on the regular. Lars says, “I want everyone to feel like they are arriving to their own place, familiar and welcoming. I want their experience to be authentic and rewarding, simple and exhilarating. I want them to feel like they are immersed in the mountains.” It does feel like an escape from the predictability of the day-to-day. To be thrust into the flow of remote adventure cabin life— eat, tour, ski, tour, ski, tour, ski, après, eat, sleep, repeat. This melodic rhythm churns and feeds everything passionate mountain people crave—the peace and quiet cocktail with a dash of adrenaline, a warm fire at day’s end, and good people to share it with. It feels a bit like time travel, this glowing place of solitude and snow. And while we know the only definitive thing we humans can rely on is change, the hope is that it yields evolution rather than demise. Gear becomes more technical, perception of terrain widens, souls get a bit wiser, but in one—even two—human lifetimes, the physical features of the earth seem to stay about the same. And at Whitecap the vinyl is always spinning and skiing objectives never end. “The vibe is the same as always,” Lars says proudly. “The clothes are different but people are still stoked to be together having experiences in the mountains. It still feels like home.” The ascent gives us evidence that the snow quality will be pristine on our way back down. Taylor Godber, taste testing the pow.