Matt Ruta 
Archives
After last year’s cold, wet summer, I’ve obviously become spoiled when it comes to “off season” skiing. On July 30th though, I was faced with a choice: either quit whining about the heat and get after it or let my ski streak end after 20 months. I chose the former and, happily, India was game to join me for what we fully expected to be terrible turns on Farnham Glacier.
Last year, on the summer solstice, Trevor and I spent what still ranks as one of the most exhausting days of my life skiing all three 11000ers on the Jumbo Icefield in a single push. Over the course of the past year I slowly forgot about the suffering. Left behind was the memory of a ski mountaineer’s paradise – one that, now that I’ve been, reminds me of Chamonix’s Glacier du Géant,… Read More
Summer mode is beginning to catch up with me. After some seriously rough skiing on Mt. Stanley, I spent some warm days trail running, riding my bike and sport climbing. Type one fun. So, lacking the motivation for anything too adventurous, I teamed up with Ryan to ski something up Holt Creek; only half an hour from home. Soon enough we were walking up the partially snowed in logging road, which gave… Read More
It’s the time of year where the lines we stare at all winter finally start to come into skiing form. Since getting home from Europe I’ve had to work altogether too much, but still got out for descents of the classic Forever Young couloir in Rogers Pass and a quick half day in Canmore’s Miner’s Gully, plus some short tours around Kicking Horse. Feeling back into the swing of things, I set… Read More
It’s been a weird, warm spring. When winter decided to make its return to the alpine halfway through June, I barely took notice, focusing instead on the effect the rain was having on the already dusty bike trails. Luckily, Trevor alerted me to my mistake. Some prodding to get me out of beach mode was required, but soon enough I was grabbing my skis for a mega day trip onto the Jumbo Glacier. With fresh snow,… Read More
An aesthetic face that, while visible from the resort, can’t get skied often.
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
Spring has to be my favourite time of year to ski. It’s funny really, because growing up in Calgary I always thought of it as the the indecisive, slushy ugly duckling of the seasons. There will be annoying ruts in your street. The sun will come out for just long enough to melt things, and because it did, tomorrow it will all freeze in formations that would leave Dr. Seuss shaking his head. You… Read More
Matt Ruta 