A Valentine’s Day Date with the Duke

With heart-shaped chocolates and a red ice axe in tow, we were on a mission to win the love of Mount Duke. We had spotted his burly north-facing couloir on a previous mission to the area, but fog and lack of daylight had prevented us from bagging the couloir that day. Fast forward three days and Valentine’s Day dawned with clear skies, cool temperatures and low avalanche danger.

On the long and tedious approach, we brainstormed for potential nicknames for the couloir; Chute through the Heart, Cupid’s Arrow, Aorta…. were all jokingly suggested. The theme of love prevailed. We were here to ski one couloir, but as the day wore on, I think all three of us were reminded of the love we have for the Coast Mountains in general. It’s all been said before and everyone who lives within shouting distance of any Coast Mountain is certainly under the spell of these imposing beasts. The stable snowpack, the big alpine areas, the slackcountry access off the top of Whistler and Blackcomb, the backcountry access up and down the Duffey Lake Road, and the plethora of like-minded people with whom to embark on adventures with are all reasons for any skier girl to fall in love with the Duke and his friends. 

Two seasons ago, I foolishly packed my bags and departed my beloved Coast Mountains for a flat land 4600 km to the east. I had lost the love, needed a change, become bored, or wasn’t inspired anymore. Whatever the reason for leaving in Whistler, life in Montreal was sadly lacking in the adrenaline and outdoor pursuits that Sea to Sky and other Coast Mountain folks take for granted. I missed the tranquility of a powdery tree run, the exhilaration of a rocky, exposed traverse, the confusion of skiing down a glacier in a whiteout, the satisfaction of summiting a mountain on skins and the comfort of doing all those things with the sturdy mountain people whom I’d come to call friends.

Returning to Whistler and the Coast after a two-season hiatus has given me a renewed enthusiasm and vigour for exploring the area on skis. I have fallen back in love with the Coast Mountains and I couldn’t think of a better way to show my love than a Valentine’s Day date with Mt Duke and two talented and enthusiastic local skier girls.

-Words & photos by Kate Covello. Skiers Holly Walker, Amy McDermid, Kate Covello. Video Amy McDermid.