It鈥檚 day five of our seven-day stay at Icefall Lodge, and Larry Dolecki, the lodge鈥檚 owner and lead guide, requests our attention as we鈥檙e finishing breakfast. He鈥檚 in his late 50s, married with three kids, yet still has a mischievous smile, the physique of a linebacker, and a smart-ass answer for all of our very important logistical questions.

Watch: Ski Touring From B.C.鈥檚 Icefall Lodge

鈥淭he good news is, it鈥檚 1 degree warmer today,鈥� he says. 鈥淪o, it鈥檚 -14C.鈥�

We laugh nervously. This is the balmiest day we鈥檝e had so far; the coldest: -26C.聽 I don鈥檛 know what that number means regarding temperature, as I gave up converting Celsius to Fahrenheit days ago. But I do know it means to layer up and keep track of my feet and hands. Once in the sun, it鈥檒l feel a lot warmer. Metrics and time don鈥檛 matter here. What matters is that we鈥檒l be out all day, skinning from the lodge鈥檚 front door to the untouched bowls and mountain saddles above.

This is Icefall, a heli-accessed backcountry lodge outside of Donald, British Columbia. Its appeal is its affordability and simplicity. The lodge is basic and isolated, heated by a lone woodstove and without indoor plumbing, cell service, or internet. There are indoor 鈥減ee toilets,鈥� but the rest happens in one of two wooden outhouses. All ski access is by skinning. The chopper delivers guests on a Saturday with the promise of a pick-up seven days later, weather permitting.

What Icefall lacks in bells and whistles, it more than makes up for in soul, camaraderie, and the ability to get up close and personal with the wildness and beauty of a B.C. winter.

This is my second trip to a heli-accessed backcountry lodge. I booked a week at Icefall鈥檚 sister lodge, Snowfall Lodge, in the nearby Selkirk range, two years ago with eight ladies from my Telluride ski squad to celebrate some 50th birthdays. The lodge鈥檚 capacity was 20. Ten women from Vancouver and a French couple from Los Angeles booked the other 12 spots. Of the 20, there was one dude.

At first, we were all cordial, but we sat at different tables for dinner. However, we bonded by mid-week, and by the end of the week, we鈥檇 become friends. So when the Canadian women booked Icefall for 2025 and asked if we wanted to join, it seemed a foregone conclusion. And that鈥檚 how we ended up with the same core group, plus a few new members on each team. And still only one dude.

The Icefall Lodge Experience

As we reunite at Icefall, there is no awkward cordiality; we greet each other with hugs and quick life updates. Each morning, we stretch on yoga mats, trade blister management strategies, and confirm the needed layers as Larry announces the day鈥檚 plan. It becomes our refrain.

鈥淭oday, you have two choices,鈥� he announces. 鈥淥ne group will ski above the hut to the right, and the other group will ski above the hut to the left.鈥�

Our tours are conservative the first few days. We gain a bench in the sun and ski laps in a specific area. We stay within a reasonable distance of the hut if someone needs to get down due to the temperatures.

On these days, there are more transitions鈥攖he ultimate exercise in self-care and being present. At the top of a pitch, we methodically go through each step of putting layers on for the descent, taking off skins, transitioning boots and skis to downhill mode, and drinking water and eating.

Then, we enjoy the bliss of skiing. The day before we arrived, the area received a foot of snow. It fell wet, but the week鈥檚 cold, dry temps have sucked the moisture out of it, providing us with lighter, deep, powder. We ski each pitch one at a time, no lifts or crowds, surrounded by sharp peaks and the textured lines of glacial cracks and shadows.

At the bottom, we do the reverse for the ascent, shedding layers and moving slowly; sweating while skinning is a cardinal sin. Sweat will freeze, destroying efforts to keep the core warm.

Forging a Deeper Connection

Toward the end of the third day, we ski our last pitch and transition in the shade, putting on our skins to gain elevation for the final ski back to Icefall. With no sun lingering, we feel the cold.

鈥淲henever I think things are hard in the mountains, I think of Hil,鈥� I say to Annie, one of my Telluride friends I鈥檝e been skinning behind.

On the skin track, conversations commonly freely flow from silence to stream-of-consciou