The first (and possibly worst) crux of the day was getting over the barbed wire fence to access the mountain (fully within Castle Mountain Provincial Park). Not every day you have to cross one of these in skis!

This is possibly the first recorded ski ascent of this foothill! Haha. When we got to the parking lot and saw how much snow there was, it seemed like too good an opportunity to miss. Becky doesn't ski, so she took the more normal option of snowshoeing.

The people who were driving home from Castle Mountain Resort; and saw us struggling over the barbed wire fence at the end of the day above the road, must have thought we were crazy! But the ~6 actual turns on the small open slopes were perfection. Magnificent virgin powder in non-avalanche terrain. So worth the sketchy drive down for Becky's birthday hike!