Dreamcatcher

It's early March and still full-on winter in central British Columbia. We are driving on a narrow, snowy road. It feels like complete wilderness, even though we are only 45 minutes north of Smithers. The man behind the wheel is Brian Hall, a pleasant 67-year old man with an extraordinary passion for skiing. He is the leading force behind Hankin-Evelyn, Canada's first (non-national park) destination entirely dedicated to ski touring. As we are driving along on the forest service road, listening to some classic Bob Dylan tunes, Brian tells me how the last few winters have been rough in this part of the province. Less snow, swinging temperatures, and an unstable snowpack.

Still, he has been out ski touring more than 100 days per season during the last few years. This man loves to ski. The starting point for our ski tour is a small parking lot at the end of the road by the foot of Hankin Mountain. Before we start, we test our avalanche transceivers at the checkpoint, one of those usually seen on top of regular ski resorts. Everybody who tours at Hankin-Evelyn passes this checkpoint. Soon enough, we are skinning up through the trees as the snowflakes fall from the grey sky. Brian's dream project started more than ten years ago. When he and his family moved to Smithers in the late 80s, ski touring and backcountry skiing were almost unheard of.

Brian had done some avalanche work in Yoho National Park in Alberta and also worked at Lake Louise ski resort before he was hired as head of ski patrol at Ski Smithers, the original name of Hudson Bay Mountain Resort. He started exploring the terrain and the mountains around Smithers. "Shortly after we came to town, I saw a growing interest in backcountry skiing and started to think how it would be possible to support that interest by building a dedicated backcountry ski area. It was a bit of a dream at first, perhaps a bit too early", he remembers. Brian quickly realized there was not much touring to be done with any easy access near Smithers as the alpine terrain was often wind hammered.

He also learned the town didn't have much of a ski touring culture at the time. Brian's goal was to make backcountry skiing more accessible, so more people could enjoy it, and hopefully, the interest would grow. After half an hour on skis, we take a quick break to strip a layer and drink some tea. Brian shows me a junction where several slopes split different ways. It almost looks like an ungroomed ski resort, but the runs are narrower and there will never be a snowcat on this mountain. In 2006, Brian started to explore an area in the Kitseguecla Valley, about 40 kilometers northwest of Smithers.

With reasonable access, free of resort development and snowmobiles, the diverse terrain with lots of annual snowfall and a northern aspect was nearly perfect. "I had searched for an area around Smithers for years and had almost given up when I found Hankin", he says. Smithers is beautifully located in the Bulkley Valley, 350 kilometers from the Alaskan border and a 14-hour drive from Vancouver. This remote place is an excellent playground for outdoor activities such as skiing, mountaineering, fishing and mountain biking. The little town, with its 6,000 inhabitants working in the forestry industry, mining or tourism, is surrounded by big mountains.

There's a small ski area, Hudson Bay Mountain Resort, named after the highest and most prominent peak, which raises 2,590 meters above sea level. In the fall, Smithers is a world-class destination for steelhead fishing. The luxury fishing lodges often host celebrities and company executives, which makes the local airport busy with private jets in September and October. After environmental assessment and securing funding from the B.C. government, Brian Hall employed forestry workers to build warming huts with stoves and outhouses as well as to handcut several ski runs into the thick forest. They also put up maps, signs, the transceiver checkpoint and a parking lot.

The Hankin project was all made possible because of countless hours of volunteer work and the passion of the local community. Nowadays, about 4,000 skiers visit Hankin-Evelyn each year, and it has been growing steadily, attracting more and more tourists from both North America and Europe. Everything is free – visitors are only endorsed to leave a donation to support the local community. Brian's primary goal was to get the local community more interested in backcountry skiing, and that has been a great success. The snowfall gets heavier as we approach a warming hut. We cut some wood on the porch and get the stove going. Soon we enjoy warm tea and a snack.

This old lookout cabin was completely revamped to accommodate day tourists who want to take shelter and warm themselves while ski touring at Hankin-Evelyn. "We have amazing mountains and great terrain, but before all this, access was too difficult", says Brian. "I think the interest in ski touring is leveling off a bit. People have realized how much work and effort it takes to be out in the backcountry. Therefore, a place like Hankin is great because you don't need to be a backcountry expert to enjoy it." The snowfall continues, and visibility is poor, so we pack our bags and leave the hut. Instead of continuing to one of the alpine bowls, we head directly for the trees. The snow is surprisingly deep, the skiing is excellent.

We follow run number 4 towards the parking lot. It is one of the steeper runs with natural pillows along the way. The gentleman he is, Brian tells me to ski first: "I ski too slow these days." However, the 67-year-old is an amazing skier, and on the uphill, I can barely keep up with him. Back at the car, we share a beer and Brian tells me stories about all kinds of tours and missions he has done in these amazing mountains. I realize that we have only scratched the surface of what this unique place has to offer.