It’s that time of year. The thermometer bounces between -30 and -10 for the umpteenth month in a row, seasonal affective disorder and a lack of vitamin D threaten our sanity as the winter solstice drags on. Living north of the 49th parallel leaves us limited options, you either embrace old man winter and enjoy it or hunker down and be miserable.
I for one choose the former, and there are a few options to ward off the winter blues. Chasing cats with hounds and archery gear, calling coyotes, shredding big alpine lines on fat skis or carving up the fresh on a new Summit 800 e-tec.
Yup, I’ve recently become a self-proclaimed sled head. This year I decided to spend some time and really learn how to become a better technical rider. It’s amazing how much fun the mountains become when you’re not digging out 500 lbs of steel every hour, torturing your buddies in the ultimate endurance test on the end of a goon spoon in an effort to rescue you.
The elements I enjoy most are staying in tune with the mountain, watching the forecast and conditions and capitalizing on mother natures’ gift. Keeping in the habit of having all my gear dialed and well maintained is essential to success. The best part is the incredible physical workout, pushing our bodies and abilities to the limit. All the while I am thinking in the back of my mind what an awesome training session for this seasons sheep and goat adventures!
The weather patterns this year have been amazingly consistent. Every 2 to 3 weeks a new system from the Pacific reaches East over the Selkirk’s and unloads 3 feet of fresh in the Purcell’s. Here are a few pics from a recent midday roop session in a meadow up one of my favorite goat hunting areas. Enjoy!
Photo Credit ~ Brandy Faris
