Words & photos: Alex Nawrocky
I traveled south from Banff, AB to Interior, BC, leaving Hardingham at home to smoke some meats and catch up editing all that GoPro footage. After a quick pit stop in Revelstoke for some dinner, and unnecessary night out ‘til 4am, I hopped the 8 am ferry and was en route to meet up with YD (Dave Seaton), his fiancé Elinore Brown, and Pablo Devine at YD’s cabin in the middle of nowhere.
From the minute I arrived, ‘til the minute I departed, the only thing weighing over my brain was how many times I’m going to be digging my sled out of this waist deep powder. It would dump for 2 hours, grace us with endless fresh tracks, then settle for an hour giving us enough time to slam a Budweiser, munch on smoked oysters, and chat about things like, “Who’s the dude on the Arctic Cat burying it 4 ft. deep and blowing the sled track?” I’m just glad I wasn’t the topic of conversation on the first morning. I waited ‘til the afternoon to start burying sleds.
Renting next year’s Polaris RMK was a must | Photo: Alex Nawrocky
The days that followed were epic on infinite levels even with little to no sunshine. Crews were spooked by avy conditions and most skipped town by the day of our arrival. We kept it mellow and still had some days dreams are made of. Staying up late, waking up late; who cares when you’ve got the whole place to yourselves and can take your time being safe during sketchy times.
There’s no pressure during our time in the backcountry, no film crews fighting for first light, or sledneckers high marking your lines you’ve scoped for days. It’s mellow vibes and will most likely stay that way for years to come. If you think your going to show up and send it up and down the zones that most of these guys discovered years back, then you should probably just call Shandy and make an appointment. It’s not a territorial spot; it’s an ancient sacred land of magical dreams. Go try rolling up on Dalai Lamas crib and stomp around for a few days. Good luck my friends, and remember it’s not the place your in, it’s the people your with and the journey reaching it.
As good as it gets with YD | Photo: Alex Nawrocky
Throughout my trip I was constantly thinking about our late and great friend Aaron Robinson. I know he had one of the best times of his life last year noboarding the same lines I was riding. Before I departed the cabin I took a minute to write my piece in YD’s cabin guestbook. As I was flipping through I came across A-Rob’s note from his trip. His first sentence was, “This trip was a blessing!”. In my honest opinion, that right there is how everyone should be living their lives, to the fullest, giving thanks for every moment they get to experience. So I’d like to say thank you YD for inviting me to your special place and letting me experience the greatness. Thank you Elinore for a warm cabin and delicious culinary expertise, and thank you Pablo for great company and non- stop laughter.
