The Ultimate Winter Sport

For those of us that like snow sports, there is no sight like mountain peaks covered in powder to get the blood pumping. Whether in our favorite magazine, the most recent film or real life, the view tends to capture and hold our attention rather dramatically. As our eyes scan the slopes, searching for the perfect line, we imagine ourselves in tune with the mountain as we carve our way down.

Actually charging that line takes the excitement to a level of its own. Resorts are great places to have fun, but after a while they become dull and repetitive shells of past glory and enjoyment. On the other hand, the fresh tracks momentarily etched on the side of a slope in the backcountry never cease to delight.

While the comparison of resorts and the backcountry is rather tilted from the beginning (after all the snow and terrain of the backcountry are, by their nature, better than the resort), there is something more philosophical to the backcountry experience that you can’t find at the resort. What it boils down to is the naturalness of the backcountry. A resort is by definition manmade, or at least maintained by man. Therefore, the artificiality is ever present. This is far from the case in the backcountry. The solitude and serenity that envelop you as you hit your line is quite awe-inspiring.

If you’re ready for the best of the backcountry, plan on visiting Island Lake Catskiing this year. Their pristine 7,000 acres will give you something to dream about once you’ve left. Set in the Lizard Range near Fernie, British Columbia, their snow is just as epic as their terrain. Island Lake truly delivers on its promise of the perfect vacation. That is why their tours fill up so fast. So if you're ready to see why catskiing is the best at Island Lake, book soon, before you miss out.