The Blessed Radium Highway

I'm not sure if these kids are raising their arms because they're stoked or because they need help. Near the top of the Olive / Vulture col on the Wapta Icefields. This was a two day back country ski course for Yamnuska Mountain Adventures.

In thirty days, the 2011 ACMG Ski Exam will begin. Since I am scheduled to take the exam, I've been keen to spend every spare moment on the sticks. I guess that's a little misleading though because I'd probably be doing the same thing regardless. Habitual behaviour is tough to change and when the skiing is this good it's hard to stay away.

If I had to choose one area to ski for the rest of the season, it would be the Radium Highway. The roadside terrain as good as it gets and the snow is dreamboat. It's also one of those places that rarely comes into condition ,so when it does, it's best to lap it up.

Eammon W getting ready for Vermillion Peak.

Vermillion Peak

The whole day I couldn't stop staring at the lines across the road.

Treeline

Eammon on the summit ridge.

This was a good effort for me since I was only 30 minutes back of Eammon. Eammon Walsh Photo.

I'm pretty sure Eammon is thinking "I can't believe I dragged this idiot up here." Eammon Walsh Photo.

Like all good partnerships, we prefer to communicate with grunts, groans, hand signals and gestures.

In this photo, Eammon is explaining that his breasts are weighing him down.

Well if we drop in here the slope will avalanche and we'll probably die but man is it tempting.

We opted for the junior entrance. Eamon Walsh Photo.

Lower down in the main slide path.

The next day we rallied back to the Radium Hwy to try one of the lines opposite Vermillion Peak. I'm not going to say this was the best run of the year even though it was.

I'm always nervous going out with businessmen like Kris I and Ben because I know they're going to convince me to break trail, pay for gas and buy beer.

Our goal was the looker's right-most slidepath (starting in the sun) with the super slender entrance.

Bender Dundat.

We were only half way down and Ben was already basking in the afterglow.

Back at the road. The line we skied is the right-most line coming off the top.

Parting shot from a drive down Highway 40 over the weekend.