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Tour of duty: Golden, B.C., ski touring trip proves rewards worth the effort

Photo Abby Cooper Backcountry Skiing Golden BC

With no fresh snow for a week (these things happen), everything at the resort appeared skied-out and crusty. But this was of little consequence. Outside the boundaries of Kicking Horse Resort there were “freshies” to be had. Powder “8s” to be made. We just had to work a bit – ok, quite a bit – to get to them.

My first-ever ski touring experience – on the snow-smothered slopes just west of Golden, a Mecca for backcountry touring – was eye-opening and memorable on many fronts. From the uphill “skinning” to the sublime snow, I gleaned enough information to realize that ski touring and me will be friends for a long time. In spite of the huffing and puffing, the delayed gratification, if you will, I’m on board. I get it.

True, ski touring is far from easy. In fact, from a physically challenging standpoint, I’ve done few things that match it. The sport’s mantra, “earn your turns,” hardly does it justice. But, in spite of the grunt-fest, human-powered skiing in the backcountry is gaining plenty of steam.

The lure of fresh lines. The “cool” factor. The mouth-watering videos that backcountry enthusiasts are posting on their social media channels. The phenomenal, easy-to-use, lightweight gear. The mega-cost associated with mechanized skiing (cat and heli-skiing). The slower pace. The greater connection with the natural world. The physical challenge. Yes, all of this, and more, is fuelling the growing popularity of backcountry ski touring.

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