Words by Tess Weaver
The young gun’s final day on the cat was a deep one. The cameras captured the first run of pillows, but before noon, Tanner made the call that it was time for free runs. Heavy packs were discarded and the group finally got to make some quick laps. When Sammy Carlson claimed it was the best powder run of his life, we all felt pretty lucky. Enthusiasm was at an all-time high. “That’s why this place is the shit,” said Tanner about Retallack Lodge. “It’s always deep.” It’s true. Retallack is a magic place. Don’t come here for blue skies, but if you’re looking for deep snow, steep trees and the best vibe in the Kooteneys, Retallack is your operation.
Sammy, Callum, Sean and Tanner packed up and headed to Nelson for a film premiere. Nelson is arguably the coolest ski town in Canada. Situated on the shores of Kootenay Lake in southern interior British Columbia with epic views of the Selkirk Mountains, Nelson is a skier/biker/artist heaven. Most of the town’s under 30 population was packed into Mike’s Place on Thursday night for a screening of Believe, Tanner Hall’s latest release, which has a good amount of footage from Retallack Lodge. Seth Morrison rolled into town just in time to meet up with some local friends at the bar. Nelsonites were “keen” on the movie and it was a loud, appreciative audience fueled by Kokanees and Kootaneys. Phil hopped on the mic and asked questions about the movie, rewarding participants with Retallack Lodge swag.
By Saturday Seth’s bag was still missing, but that didn’t stop him from grabbing some demo skis and loading the cat. He was joined by Greg Strokes, Oakley Sports Marketing Manager, and Chris O’Connell, Armada owner and photographer, for a day of client cat skiing. I’ve never seen Seth have to wait for the public, but he demonstrated great patience out there. Unlike the resort, the powder day just got better as the day wore on. We were big fans of Ivory, a steep tree shot that morphed every lap.
Dan Treadway gets in on Monday to ski with Seth for a week. The guides have been saying stick to the tracks if you’re lost, but those are not the two sets of tracks I’d want to follow.
Retallack Part I — Retallack Part II
