Uncategorized
Ice Creek Lodge
Published
12 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Brian Ladd, explorebigsky.com Contributor
It turns out mine comes with a butt-freezing outhouse that features a broken lock on the door while exposing you to the surrounding peaks. Perfect.
Situated in a high mountain cirque in the Devil’s Range, on the precipice of Valhalla Park, lies the manifestation of a ski bum’s dream. Like its founder, Ice Creek Lodge is raw, quirky, with every resource focused on the inspired adventure that is big-mountain backcountry skiing.
In January of this year, a friend and I reconvened with a group from Big Sky in the snow-buried town of Nakusp, British Columbia.
In moments we were, only as helicopter can do, transported up a constricted mountain drainage. We floated up the valley, and the pine tree forest was increasingly pushed back with granite walls and peaks, ending in a pristine mountain cirque striated with snowy couloirs. We were delivered to the only building in sight, situated mid-mountain in the heart of spectacular ski terrain.
As the thump of the heli faded in the distance, we were left in the quiet, perfectly cold world of Ice Creek. The silence rung in my earns and the cold nipped at my cheeks as I took in the toothy peaks that surrounded me. A rocky outcropping surrounded the lodge.
A main building had sleeping for eight skiers, a central wood stove, a propane-fired kitchen and water tank fed with 50-pound jugs of creek-fresh water. Our bones were warmed in the evening with the “hippy killer” wood sauna and the generator provided enough power for a few hours of tunes and dimly lit camaraderie—just enough improvements to keep everyone warm, dry and happy.
Our group was led by backcountry guiding legend Joel McBurney. His experience and analytical nature blanketed the group in calm confidence, despite an active avalanche cycle throughout our trip. Activities fell into a rhythm of cooking, sleeping, long skin approaches followed by speedy descents, and requisite storytelling and jovial lodge behavior.
Fresh, cold snow filtered from the sky every day, and our ski lines were varied, full of soft drops, and always untouched. While we were able to occasionally poke into the higher and more exposed slopes, our ability to explore the epic lines was constrained by the avalanche activity in the high peaks.
While our skiing experience was phenomenal, the lines-of-a-lifetime would tease from above, ensuring our return trip next year.
icecreeklodge.com
bigcountryguiding.com
[nggallery id=51]
Gear
Voile Charger Skis
Dynafit TLT Vertical FT Binding
dynafit.com/en
BCA Float 36 Pack
Black Diamond Quadrant AT Boot
My go-to tele boots are also made by BD and I quickly took to these AT boots. While I fought the sizing a bit, I dialed them in and enjoyed these boots. More than enough power to drive any ski in the backcountry, and after dropping a knee for so long, I can’t imagine needing a stiffer alpine boot at ski areas either. Great weight saving design, plenty of room in the toes for my bear-wide feet, huge range of motion while touring, and neat liners with the boa lacing system. blackdiamondequipment.com
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
april, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a
more
Event Details
We all are familiar with using a limited palette, but do you use one? Do you know how to use a limited palette to create different color combinations? Are you tired of carrying around 15-20 different tubes when you paint plein air? Have you ever wanted to create a certain “mood” in a painting but failed? Do you create a lot of mud? Do you struggle to achieve color harmony? All these problems are addressed in John’s workbook in clear and concise language!
Based on the bestselling “Limited Palatte, Unlimited Color” workbook written by John Pototschnik, the workshop is run by Maggie Shane and Annie McCoy, accomplished landscape (acrylic) and plein air (oil) artists,exhibitors at the Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery and members of the Big Sky Artists Collective.
Each student will receive a copy of “Limited Palette, Unlimited Color” to keep and take home to continue your limited palette journey. We will show you how to use the color wheel and mix your own clean mixtures to successfully create a mood for your paintings.
Each day, we will create a different limited palette color chart and paint a version of a simple landscape using John’s directives. You will then be able to go home and paint more schemes using the book for guidance.
Workshop is open to painters (oil or acrylic) of any level although students must have some basic knowledge of the medium he or she uses. Students will be provided the book ($92 value), color wheel, value scale and canvas papers to complete the daily exercises.
Sundays, April 14, 21 and 28, 2024
Noon until 6PM.
$170.
Time
14 (Sunday) 12:00 pm - 28 (Sunday) 6:00 pm
Event Details
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Quality Planning Bureau will host an informational meeting
more
Event Details
The Montana Department of Environmental Quality’s Water Quality Planning Bureau will host an informational meeting to update the public on topics related to the impairment listing of the middle segment of the Gallatin River, from Yellowstone National Park to Spanish Creek, for excessive algal growth due to exceeding established thresholds for algae (ARM 17.30.637(1)(e)).
The hybrid meeting will be held in Big Sky at the Big Sky Water and Sewer District and via Zoom at 6 p.m. on Monday, April 22, 2024.
2024 Agenda:
- Nutrient Rulemaking Update
- Gallatin River Monitoring Project Objectives & Timeline
- 2023 Findings and 2024 Monitoring Strategies
- Source Assessment and TMDL Development
- Community Involvement in Watershed Restoration
Time
(Monday) 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
Event Details
There is something so powerful when women come together to support each other on their journey. We are healed, we are nurtured, and we feel comforted and understood.
Event Details
There is something so powerful when women come together to support each other on their journey. We are healed, we are nurtured, and we feel comforted and understood.
This full moon can give us the opportunity to connect with the grounding energies of the earth and cosmos as well as to recognize and celebrate this awakening and the culmination of our intentions. Although it is free to attend, please register so we know how many to expect.
Time
(Monday) 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle