Ymir Yurts

Video at Qua Yurt from January 2012

2012-01-29T21:12:00.000-08:00

Customer Comments from last winter

2011-08-11T21:10:00.000-07:00

Thanks for the great week. We had a blast. The skiing was unbelievable. Thanks for guiding us through these wonderful mountains. I will certainly repeat the experience next year.

M.C. Eastern Canada

Thanks for letting us share your backyard. The tours were excellent. In addition to 5 awesome days of skiing, we appreciate the knowledge you shared on the area, terrain,and avalanche safety. The two longer tours you chose were well thought out and offered a great variety of skiing and scenery. I'll remember those days for a long time The cat skiing days couldn't have been better. We look forward to doing it all over again next year.

T.B. Eastern U.S.

I know I speak for the group when I say we had a tremendous time. Thank you for introducing me to some incredible backcountry. The week provided a great combination of adrenaline rush and immersion in the natural world.

R.G. Eastern U.S.

Wildhorse Cabin

2011-03-21T12:05:00.000-07:00

Taken from near the summit of Wildhorse Peak at the top of an awesome north facing run back to Wildhorse Cabin. Steep. Access to lots of great terrain and incredible views in all directions. More photos at our photo gallery

Video of Terrain around Wildhorse Cabin

2010-12-19T22:32:00.000-08:00

Wild Snow Article on Ymir Yurts

2010-03-25T21:06:00.001-07:00

Customer article at Wild Snow Online journal.

More great photos from this trip.

Updated Photo of Qua Yurt

2010-03-01T14:02:00.001-08:00

Over the last couple of years the old canvas yurt at Qua Lake has been removed and an insulated solid wall yurt has replaced the yurt. The basement used to be the staff quarters but now is the kitchen and dining room. The deck outside provides a little extra storage space and the bathroom. Sleeping for 8. Heating by kerosene and propane. Propane lights and a 4 burner propane stove and oven. Tons of backcountry skiing right outside the door.

Pathfinder from Sweden at Yurtopia

2010-02-26T22:40:00.000-08:00

Interior of Wildhorse Cabin

2010-02-03T21:14:00.000-08:00

There are two bunkbeds and a two loft sleeping areas in this 18x20 sq ft cabin with 2 incredible 4x8 windows looking out at Mt Baldy and Wildhorse Peak. Just the view is inspirational. The skiing is exceptional and perfect for skiers looking for fast access to steep lines. The cabin is available December and January and March for self-guided trips and February with a guide.

Perfect Stability - Perfect Turns

2010-01-28T12:56:00.000-08:00

Stewart and Andrew have been helping me out for years. Here is a link Stewart's blog on skiing in the Kootenays with some great turns and pictures from a recent trip to Yurtopia. Lots of people think that Qua has the more aggressive lines but both Yurt locations are pretty similar in regards to their access to terrain both mellow and wild. The photo is from Yurtopia Peak looking at the Seeman Peak's with the North face lines teasing everyone. Stewart and Andrew skiied the 1600 foot slightly treed rib in the middle of the photo.

Guided Yurt to Yurt alpine traverse

2009-11-22T17:49:00.000-08:00

I'll be offering a guided yurt to yurt trip on Friday March 26 to Monday March 29. This is a classic ski traverse available for up to 8 people. Starting from the summit of Wildhorse Peak we ski to Qua Yurt on the first day. Depending on conditions we will either ski to Yurtopia or shred some lines around the Qua Yurt. The last day we traverse from Yurtopia to the Whitewater Ski Resort. The rate is $595 and includes all food, transport into Qua, transfer of luggage to Yurtopia and out, guiding, and lots of great skiing. This trip is available for individuals and couples. If you have a larger group interested in this traverse contact me directly for other possible dates.

Donate to the Environment Fund

2009-10-21T12:14:00.001-07:00

Yurtopia Yurt operates on land owned by the Nature Conservancy of Canada. Every year we contribute to an environmental project in the Wildhorse Catskiing terrain. For every dollar in donations received Ymir Yurts will donate five dollars. A tax deductible receipt is available on request. You can contribute online or by calling 1-888-488-4327.

Yurtopia

2009-01-27T04:33:00.000-08:00

It's been a little while since Yurtopia was mentioned on this blog. The old canvas yurt detoriated a couple of years ago and was replaced with a permanant circular building. Regular 2x6 construction, foam insulation, kerosene and propane heat. The terrain around Yurtopia is still amazing for ski touring.

Google Earth

2008-08-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Last spring Google Earth images for the terrain around the Yurts became hi-resolution which is amazing for examining the terrain from home. I have also created little Qua Yurt .kmz files and Yurtopia Yurt .kmz files which you can download by clicking on the links and they will open Google Earth ( if installed ) and fly you through the terrain showing you the skiing potential in a way that will astound you.

Nature Conservancy Purchases Darkwoods

2008-07-29T10:21:00.000-07:00

On July 24th the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC) publicly announced their acquisition of the Darkwoods Property where the Ymir Yurts Yurtopia Yurt is based. The management of Darkwoods informed us several years ago of the intention to sell and subsequent purchase of the company and its lands earlier this year. We have been informed that all existing contracts are being honored. We are very happy with the acquisition by the new owners and the direction towards conservancy of this land. Wildhorse Catskiing also operates on this land.

The New Yurtopia

2008-06-13T16:55:00.000-07:00

We did another blast on the reconstruction of Yurtopia. I did a couple of years of ski touring guiding out of Yurtopia and it was my first Yurt project and a lot of good memories and good people shared time out there. It was good to get the Yurt back online again and better than ever. It is going to be wild here. The Yurt will be two stories high ( not including the basement - that is buried in the winter ). One floor for the kitchen and the second story for the sleeping quarters for 8 with a beautiful skylight. The yurt is more like a circular cabin than your typical kit purchased yurt. The old sleeping yurt basement with the sauna will be renovated this coming week to continue as a sauna without a yurt on top.

New Kitchen at Qua

2008-05-30T13:32:00.000-07:00

Here's the new kitchen. Nice Huh. Seating for 8. Skiing outside. Kerosene Heater. Toasty.

Qua Yurt Renovation

2008-05-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

Last fall we put a new roof on the Qua Yurt. This spring we renovated the old staff quarters beneath the yurt and joined the Yurt and basement together. Now the kitchen is downstairs and nice and warm and upstairs there is capacity for 8 keen skiers in 4 bunk beds. Big windows look out over Qua Bowl.

Yurtopia rebuilt

2008-05-12T12:40:00.000-07:00

Yurtopia will be back in operation for the winter 07/08. We have been working this spring taking down the old yurts and rebuilding. The Yurtopia Yurt was the first Yurt that I established for backcountry skiing and after 6 or 7 years it was in need of a major overhaul. The terrain that is accessed from Yurtopia is very protected and has some of the best skiing in the range. The new Yurt will sleep 6 for this winter but will likely be expanded to 8 in the future.

Qua Yurt Rebuilt

2007-10-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

Over the last three weeks through the rain and the snow a new roof has been installed at Qua Yurt. A large skylight tops the roof, a new entry door and a covered deck over the doorway are some of the improvements. The Yurt should prove warmer than ever with solid walls. I plan to do the same for the Yurtopia Yurt this spring.

Ymir Yurts Promo Video

2007-10-04T13:24:00.000-07:00

Google Earth Tour

2007-05-13T10:56:00.000-07:00

Here is a link to a Google Earth tour of the Ymir Yurts

Qua Yurt

Yurtopia Yurt

ReBuilding Qua Yurt

2007-05-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

Qua is being rebuilt with 2x6 walls, rigid foam insulation, wallboard interior and steel siding. We spent a couple days in the rain, sleet and snow in mid April with Alex, Conner and Andrew putting some of the parts together.

Yurtopia Yurt to Whitewater

2006-06-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

This is the trip that first started the Ymir Yurts. The first explorations I had of the Qua and Yurtopia area were in the winter of 1994(?). For the next couple of winter's Jim and I would make a long tour from Whitewater to sample the goods. When I first started the Ymir Yurts every tour started from Whitewater and involved a 4-6 hour tour in and returning through Kututle and into Five Mile for the 2,000 ft. north facing descent. Yurtopia was pretty remote with the closest highway 20km away. In the summer a great off trail hike can be made in 5-6 hours through Unbelievabowl and traversing the south face of Ymir Peak to the West Ymir saddle and down into Whitewater Ski Hill. The combination of the Clearwater - Qua - Yurtopia - Whitewater makes an awesome 3+ day backcountry traverse. It takes some navigation to find my trails as they are only loosely flagged and mostly in my imagination and to get off-trail is serious bushwacking.

Qua Yurt to Yurtopia Yurt

2006-06-17T21:26:00.000-07:00

A beautiful ridgeline hike traversing a couple of high alpine bowls. Starting from the Qua Yurt climb to the site of the Quaker mine "The Ark". This hard rock tunnel was mined around 1905 and is a 7 ft round tunnel 130m long almost through the ridge. The original miner's cabin was located in the vicinity of the Qua Yurt and was complete with a harpsichord for evening music. Follow the ridgeline towards the summit of South Seeman Pk and across to North Seeman Pk. Views from these summits include the Purcell range on the other side of Kootenay Lake, the Nelson Range, Ymir Pk, Kokanee, the Valhalla's and Red Mountain over in Rossland. The picture is taken of the descent from the summit of Seeman Pk and the descending traverse to Yurtopia Yurt. The hiking is off trail but never climbing. A beautiful summer day is ideal. In the winter a slightly different line is taken which involves three 1,500 ft. north facing descents.