New Year's Eve marked a temporary break in the stormy weather in the high country. The snow had been pounding for weeks, and the Monashee Mountains near Revelstoke, BC were blanketed in fresh powder.

For a lucky handful of people, these conditions coincided with a helicopter-accessed backcountry hut trip to the beautiful Blanket Glacier Chalet. Equipped with comfortable lodgings, excellent food, a wood fired sauna and great company, the chalet is a perfect place; just enough distractions to avert boredom, but not enough to keep you from waking early, skiing until dark, then doing it all again the next day.

The morning of New Year's Eve, we managed an early start, navigating by local knowledge through thick fog, ever trending upwards on a gentle but unrelenting climb. It wasn't until we had reached the summit ridge of the peak above the lodge that we broke out above the clouds. In biting winds, but with exalted moods, we dug in for a lunch break as we enjoyed watching the seething seas of clouds lash against the lower buttresses of the surrounding peaks, while the summits stood proudly above the melee in their fresh winter coats.

In awe, I photographed the scene in glorious detail, hoping to relive this rare and fleeting New Year's celebration.