Testing Threads in the Deep End
FREESKIER debuts inaugural Outerwear Test at Retallack Lodge
WORDS • SAM TAGGART | PHOTOS • BRUNO LONG
“One can never be bored by powder skiing because it is a special gift of the relationship between earth and sky. It only comes in sufficient amounts in particular places, at certain times on this earth; it lasts only a limited amount of time before sun and wind changes it. People devote their whole lives to it for the pleasure of being so purely played by gravity and snow.”
— Dolores LaChapelle
We arrived in late afternoon to snow falling from a gray, early spring sky. A week prior, warm weather, snowmelt and mud threatened the season; today, six inches already blanketed the ground and plenty more was falling up high. Smoke invitingly billowed up from the chimney. Two snowcats purred next to a small bonfire outside, resting after a long day’s work. The forecast here, at Retallack Lodge in Interior British Columbia, called for heavy snow over the next 24 hours.
Our group—a collection of FREESKIER staffers, product testers and representatives of outerwear manufacturers—carried with us heavier bags than most traveling skiers; we packed suitcases full of jackets, snowpants and midlayers to be worn over the next three days exploring Retallack’s nearly 10,000 acres of steep, skiable terrain. The goal for the inaugural FREESKIER Outerwear Test was: evaluate the finest threads from the industry’s top brands based on fit, material and function in the unique climate of Interior British Columbia.
As we settled into our accommodations for the ensuing four evenings—an 11,000-square-foot timber-framed lodge surrounded by old growth cedar forests—the behind the scenes coordinators of Retallack’s base operation, Megan, Kia and Aïsha, were present to greet us, as well as guests from the trip prior to ours. The visitors were still in their ski gear and shuffled around the lodge recalling in wonderment their past 72 hours exploring this vast, natural playground. Despite packing up to go home, the group was buzzing on three days of powder skiing, carrying with them a palpable, contagious excitement.
Afternoon darkened into evening, with big, wet flakes still dancing down from the sky. The dinner bell rang and racks of barbecue ribs satiated even the hungriest in our bunch. Cheers were made to celebrate the snowfall and the anticipation of our days cat-skiing in the Selkirk Range manifested in long, rowdy, Kokanee-fueled rounds of Neglin, the lodge activity of choice at Retallack.
In short, combining accuracy and a steady hand, Neglin players surround a tree stump, each with a nail in front of them, and are required to hammer it completely into the piece of wood—with the skinny end of a rock hammer. Boasting endless hours of practice, lodge staffers and guides are more than capable of the task.
Beating nails into a stump: somehow it seems like a well-deserved metaphor on the culture that Retallack cultivates, the importance of being present and enjoying the moment with those around you.
Waking up the next morning, stormy skies continued to gift us bountiful snow. A hearty breakfast was followed by orientation meetings with our ski guides, Bryn, Dillon, Savage and Johnny Smoke, who explained terrain options, backcountry safety and general protocol. Finally, we had the chance to suit up in our kit of choice from over a dozen brands. Loading into the two snowcats, still purring outside by the fire, we began chugga-lugging up, up, up along old silver mining roads, initially navigated in the 1800s, toward our first powder-laden run of the trip.
Although our minds were consumed by the prospect of skiing up to 4,400-feet of untouched vertical, through trees hundreds of years old, on land first settled 10,000 years ago, we kept our wits about us, taking specific notes on each garment’s dexterity, waterproofing, breathability, fit and durability. Further bolstering this database of feedback, testers donned multiple kits over the course of our time in the Selkirks. Each skier could then provide individualized commentary about pocket and zipper placement, sleeve length and more; and generally, about what worked, what didn’t and why—these notes becoming the backbone of our entire evaluation.
During our stint at Retallack, we disrupted untouched lines every time we dropped in, chewed up pillow fields ripe for the picking and jumped cliffs big and small with landings soft as clouds. As we stepped out of the snowcat at the top of each run, thoughts of Gore-Tex and helmet-compatible hoods always top of mind, feet upon feet of pristine snow awaited the slashing of our skis, as if it were there just for our enjoyment. Here, amongst these stunning peaks, time passed too quickly and, it seemed, not at all.
Our three days skiing the cat-accessed terrain around Retallack Lodge eventually melted together, our reality consumed by bottomless snow conditions (multiple feet fell during our stay), steep, playful landscapes, conversations about the latest gear trends and a collective feeling of exuberance. Daily observations, poems and musings, such as the words of Dolores LaChapelle featured at the beginning of this story, recounted by Retallack’s shaman and lead cat-driver, “Karl the Gnarl,” further accentuated our group’s sentiments of gratitude—our ability to be together and to be “so purely played by gravity and snow.”
Captured through the lenses of talented photographers Matt Power and Bruno Long, the following pages showcase the top-rated kits from our inaugural Outerwear Test, held at Retallack Lodge. Keep reading for in-depth product descriptions, highlights and insight compiled on-site from our experienced apparel testers. We’re certain you’ll put down these pages already excited to gear up for next season.
