Category Archives: Travel

Boston Derby

Posted on January 30, 2015 | Leave a comment

This smooth and tart winter delight is basically a Boston Sour, where the bourbon has been infused with grapefruit peel. I sampled this drink in Vancouver at West Restaurant, where the bar program is ably commanded by award-winning mixologist David Wolowidnyk.

As you know by now, I really like sours, and it’s neat to see more bartenders playing around with grapefruit in this style of drink. This version is light and lemony, with a lip-puckering kiss from the grapefruit and an affectionate slap from the bourbon. Be careful though — after one sip you might end up in a race to the bottom of the glass.

Grapefruit meets bourbon in this tasty twist on a Boston Sour.

Grapefruit meets bourbon in this tasty twist on a Boston Sour at West Restaurant in Vancouver.

Boston Derby

  • 2 oz grapefruit peel-infused bourbon*
  • 1 oz honey syrup (2/3 honey to 1/3 water)
  • 3/4 oz fresh lemon juice
  • Egg white
  • Garnish: lemon twist

Method: Combine ingredients and shake quickly with ice to chill. Remove ice and shake again to maximize foam. Strain into a rocks glass and garnish with a lemon twist set atop the foam.

*Grapefruit-peel infused bourbon

  • The peels of two grapefruits, with as little pith as possible
  • A bottle of bourbon of your choice

Method: Pour the bourbon into an infusion jar, such as a large 1 L mason jar. Add the grapefruit peels. Seal and let sit at room temperature for two days. Strain out peels and enjoy.

— Recipe courtesy David Wolowidnyk, West Restaurant

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Fernie’s “Extreme Club”

Posted on January 13, 2015 | 1 comment

This year we finally committed to becoming “Califernians” (Calgarians who weekend in Fernie) for six straight weeks by signing Avery up for the Extreme Club at Fernie Alpine Resort. The program helps intermediate skiers like Avery, 9, improve their skills and reach the next level (more confidence in powder, on steeper terrain and navigating bumps). She’s in a group with five other children of similar ages and abilities, and they have the same instructor every week. After only two lessons she’s already faster and more confident on the steeps, demonstrating improved turning technique and absolutely no fear.

Avery rips down the 123's in Curry Bowl on Sunday.

Avery rips down the 123’s in Curry Bowl on Sunday.

I always hoped it would get to a point where my girl could ski anywhere on the mountain with me, and after taking her down the steep black diamond 123’s into Curry Bowl last weekend, I think we’re almost there.

She also gamely skis through the moguls on blue runs in Lizard Bowl, and hopefully, one of these weekends there will be some powder and we’ll see how she performs atop the fluff (Memo to Griz: can you please deliver the white stuff?).

As a parent and a skier it’s satisfying to see how far Avery has come in six years. It’s hard to think back and remember her as a preschooler learning to snowplow on the Mini Moose (a.k.a. magic carpet) and taking numerous snow-eating breaks between “runs.” I wondered if she’d grow to really enjoy skiing, or merely do it because it was her parents’ dream to be a ski family.

Avery stops for a snow-eating break by the Mini Moose in 2009.

Avery stops for a snow-eating break by the Mini Moose in 2009.

Now, when we give her an option not to ski, or to leave the hill early to hit the hot tub and waterslide, she always chooses more runs. I watch as she carries her own skis and poles, boards the lift ahead of me with friends, looks for jumps on the side of every cat-track, and follows me gamely down every run.

Avery and a friend stop at the top of Curry Bowl's 123's.

Avery and a friend stop at the top of Curry Bowl’s 123’s.

It won’t be long before she’ll no longer want to ski with me, and I’ll be back to doing laps on Power Trip, now with Bennett. In the meantime, I’ll savour all our runs this winter. It will be neat to see how far she comes with her Extreme Club friends this season.

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One for the bucket list (heli-ski awesome!)

Posted on January 7, 2015 | Leave a comment

I’ve been a skier now for 38 years, but I haven’t always been a powder-chaser. That conversion happened when I moved north (of the wall) to Canada, where steeper mountains keep faces mogul-free, and prodigious snowfalls at resorts like Fernie and Fortress Mountain (now reincarnated as KPOW, a cat skiing operation) mean frequent fresh tracks.

Still, I didn’t add “heli-ski” to the bucket list until 2001, when a cat skiing trip to Revelstoke opened my eyes to powder possibilities beyond resort boundaries: All that space! No tracks! Steeeep! It was powder porn, and addictive. So when Canadian Mountain Holidays, the company that invented heli-skiing 50 years ago, invited me on a media day trip (the company offered one week of single day trips for the first time this year) out of Revelstoke, I felt the dream was within reach.

Our transportation for the day. The only drawback? The two-minute flights back up the mountain don't really give you enough time to warm up. #firstworldproblems

Our transportation for the day. The only drawback? The two-minute flights back up the mountain don’t really give you enough time to warm up. #firstworldproblems

The best part — after the knee-deep, cold smoke, virtually effortless pow-pow, and my first terrifying-yet-thrilling helicopter powder landing — was that I got to experience heli-skiing with hubby Blake, my powder buddy (he got to tag along after paying the day rate). I’ll be writing about our epic experience for WestJet Magazine, but here are some highlights.

Me with ski buddy gearing up for a run.

Me with ski buddy gearing up for a run.

Snow deep: I mean really deep. Our last run down a steep treed pitch called High Roller (because, for one day only, that’s, well…) sent me bouncing over powdery pillows and into snowy troughs where the snow was, I swear, thigh deep.

There's powder between them thar trees!

There’s powder between them thar trees!

Seat with a view: So the chopper ride was quick, but oh, the views! Acres of untouched snow punctuated by snow-toqued spruce trees and shadowed by the imposing peaks of the Monashees.

View from the chopper. Sublime.

View from the chopper. Sublime.

Bluebird day: Blue sky and deep powder. ‘Nuff said.

Cool mountain town: Revelstoke is awesome, mixing the right amount of historic charm with modern amenities like hotels with all-important hot tubs. The Regent, CMH’s Revelstoke base, is downtown, has an excellent restaurant and there’s a liquor store selling Mt. Begbie beer right next door!

Revelstoke has cute heritage buildings, great views and access to some amazing ski terrain.

Revelstoke has cute heritage buildings, great views and access to amazing ski terrain.

One for the bucket list: It’s funny how checking off a bucket list item can actually spawn new additions to the very same list. Now that I’ve experienced one day of heli-skiing, I’m penciling in a new goal: an extended heli trip to one of CMH’s remote backcountry lodges. In the land of pristine glaciers, dare to dream, right?

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