Matt Ruta 
A classic Rockies test of fitness. Shut up legs.
A brief departure from reality on the wild north face of Mt. Macdonald.
An introduction to the speed traverse, a day that refused to end, a big Rogers Pass north face and some alone time with the Gulo.
Deep pow, new friends, old friends, unreal terrain and a killer deal at an amazing lodge make for a hut trip to remember. Soul skiing at its finest.
An aesthetic face that, while visible from the resort, can’t get skied often.
Last year, entirely on a whim, Cam Stuchly and I spent two nights skiing deep powder at Ripple Ridge Cabin near the summit of Kootenay pass on the number three highway between Salmo and Creston BC. You can read that trip report here. The gist is that the snow was terrific, we had a great time and we couldn’t wait to come back. So we did, and we brought long time friend… Read More
Sometimes you just can’t say no. When the man who introduced me to energy gels; all around machine Trevor Sexsmith asked if I wanted to spend a week at Sorcerer Lodge for dirt cheap, there was only one acceptable answer. That answer, obviously was “I’ll find the money and get the time off somehow”, which is exactly what I did.
Day two of an overnight backcountry riding trip near Invermere BC. Day one can be found here. The second, and altogether less suffery day of the Brewer Lakes trip dawned with us sore but well rested. The sun was shining, the electrical storm had stayed away the night before and it was time to ride.
The Brewer Lakes trail, near Invermere, BC is a ride that I hold in very high regard. It’s a fantastic alpine trail, the scenery is unbeatable, it has scree slopes that make me feel like a pro, it has massive descents that make me feel tiny, and, most importantly, when I’m working at Panorama I can access it sans commute, from my door. This is a trail I would drive for hours to… Read More
Note: This trip report has been sitting as a draft for months, though I’ve only now decided to publish it. The ascent itself took place July 23 2013. All photos courtesy of Oliver House’s iPhone. Mount Nelson is a peak that caught my attention very quickly while working at Panorama Resort near Invermere, BC. It taunted me at work, a spectacular square topped pyramid rising over 2000m from the valley floor. Within… Read More
Matt Ruta 