experience the bc monashees
bc owned and
operated
Aaron and Sabine Cooperman met in the BC Monashee Mountains. As Aaron tells it, Sabine had a broken ankle at the time and she was an easy catch. Maybe, but she soon put him through his paces. The rest is this unfolding story - Sabine, Aaron, Josee and Seth, owner operators of Sol Mountain Lodge.
Both parent Coopermans have professional forestry backgrounds. Sabine was a Silvicultural Forester, Aaron has a science degree in Environmental Geography. They worked bush jobs because they loved the setting and discovering new backcountry skiing opportunities. The jobs required a high tolerance for hard work and life off the grid, foreshadowing their future dream.
The Plywood Palace
After a few dates, one thing led to another. The couple settled in Clearwater, BC, built a home, completed Aaron’s journey to become an ACMG ski guide, and added to the family. Their desire to create a ski lodge took form. Consolidating years of exploration, they zeroed in on the Southern Monashees for its terrain, snow, and access.
The real work began. In December 2002, the Coopermans submitted permit applications. Their vision was to create an experience that values connection to wilderness and the landscape. The lodge was rustic at first, that was never its destiny. Comfort and seclusion are excellent partners.
Experience the BC Monashees
Unlocking the mysteries of a place takes time. The Monashees are moody, gentle, ancient, raw, protected and harvested. Winters are long up high, summers are brief. The forests vary from cedar hemlock to boreal fir and spruce. Stands of old growth grace many valleys, providing invaluable habitat for animals and birds. It’s wild and unpopulated, a destination for recreation, the quiet cousin who likes being off the radar.
Every day presents its own beauty here. For the Coopermans, the experience of being immersed in the present, doing an activity all day, is their flow state. Ski or read, bike or walk, take a swim in the lake, watch the stars reflect light. Share those moments with people and bring them the opportunity to take this time out. What more is there.
Their vision was to create an experience that values connection to wilderness and the landscape. The lodge was rustic at first, that was never its destiny. Comfort and seclusion are excellent partners.
live the life
Sol Mountain Lodge experiences condense years of trial and error, a multitude of excursions to find ski lines with the best flow, uptracks with the least effort, and improvements to the après scene — coming home to warmth, comfort, food and well-being. Backcountry days are invaluable. They reconnect us to the rhythm of life, simplicity, and quiet.
Darkness. Sunrise. Community. Belonging.
Being owner-operators in BC’s backcountry is hugely important to us. We appreciate the privilege of spending time here. Respect for the past and acknowledging the present provide us guidelines for the future.