Jasmin Caton

Owner, Operator & Lead Guide
ACMG Ski & Rock Guide

  • Years at VMT: 14 (but really 31)
    Favourite ski run: The Doors

    As a kid I was always pretty academic, but when I was 19 I took a year off university and worked at VMT as a custodian. I followed the ski guides around and after taking a professional-level avalanche course I had a lightbulb moment that I could be a guide too.

    I stuck with school though and moved to Salt Lake City to take a Masters in Hydrogeology (the epic skiing and climbing in Utah may have been a factor in my choice of university), but upon graduation I was ready to move back to the BC mountains.

    After working as a guide for several years, I took over from my dad in running the day to day operations at VMT.

    Outside of the lodge, I have two amazing kids (twins who are 5). I am also a rock guide and teach on ACMG rock and ski guide courses and exams.

Lee Johnston

Lead Guide, Head of Snow Shovelling
ACMG Ski Guide

  • Years at VMT: 6
    Favourite ski run: Shannon’s Throat

    I grew up in Ontario and skied the hills there as a kid. When I decided to go to school for Kiniesiology, I moved to the Rockies to be closer to the mountains. Coincidentally, one of my professors was an ACMG guide and the rest kind of fell into place from there.

    I’ve been guiding for 16 years now and spent a lot of time in the mechanized world working at cat and heli-skiing operations. Moving to VMT 6 years ago was a conscious shift away from fossil fuel based pursuits.

    Outside of guiding, I am a retired nurse, an aspiring carpenter, an off-grid cabin builder and a dad to my 3 and 6 year olds.

Stephen Senecal

Lead Guide, Chief Plumber
ACMG Ski Guide

  • Years at VMT: 9
    Favourite ski run: Ruby’s Nose

    I grew up nearby in Rossland, BC and have been skiing all of my life. Straight out of school, I became a carpenter, but building houses in the snow isn’t the most fun.

    When I took my first avalanche course, I realized it would be way more enjoyable to spend my winters working as a guide, so I decided to pursue that instead.

    Outside of guiding and the small amount of carpentry I still do, I spend a lot of time hiking, climbing and exploring with my wife Kristen. We were lucky enough to get married at the VMT lodge in the summer of 2022.

Daniel Morton

Guide, Builder of Sleighs
ACMG Splitboard & Ski Guide

  • Years at VMT: 14
    Favourite ski run:

    I grew up and learned to ski in Barry, Ontario. As soon as I was able, I moved out West to pursue my dream of being a ski guide, and I’ve been working as one now for over a decade.

    Because ski guiding doesn’t happen when there’s no snow, I’m also a diesel engine mechanic by trade and for many years I maintained the VMT Snowcat (and even stored it at my house in Slocan during the summer). I also built the luggage sleigh which rides behind the snowcat on the way up and down the mountain.

    I have a 13 year old son called Logan, who we named after Mt Logan. A few years ago, I was lucky enough to guide a group of guests to that very peak, which felt incredibly special.

    Outside of VMT, I also teach on many of the CAA (professional avalanche) Operations courses and run my own guiding company.

Jeremy Birse

Lead Guide, Aspirant SnowCat Driver
ACMG Splitboard Guide

  • Years at VMT: 5
    Favourite ski run: Grizzly Trees

    I’ve worked as a carpenter for a long time, building and renovating houses. But I had a bit of a midlife realization while ski touring in Revelstoke with Dave Tracz, that I really wanted to become a ski guide. 10 years later, here I am.

    While I’m officially a splitboard guide, I never actually put my board together during my ACMG exam, and did the whole thing in split mode - so I guess I’m a ski guide really.

    Outside of work, I love climbing and big “Type 2 fun” kind of adventures - the biggest of which is raising my 2 and 5 year olds, who are already shredding, hucking and scaring me daily.

Sofia Forsman

Guide, Retired Dishwasher
ACMG Apprentice Ski & Hiking Guide

  • Years at VMT: 6
    Favourite ski run: Shannon’s Throat

    This little Sweet Swede chased skiing until she found herself deep in the Canadian Mountains wondering how she suddenly had ended up on the other side of the planet. It wasn’t long until she met Jasmin whom took Sofia under her wing as a practicum and taught her much of what she know knows.

    Since then she’s worked as a lodge caretaker, helped build hydro dams and loves stacking the firewood for the upcoming winters. She's still wondering exactly where home is but one thing is for certain, there is zero doubt about this career choice and Canada, more specifically VMT is where she belongs. The skiing and company here is simply too good to leave, eh!

Dave Tracz

Lead Guide, Chief Mapmaker
ACMG Ski Guide

  • Years at VMT: 2
    Favourite Ski Run: The whole Shannon Lake zone

    I’m an Ontario transplant who moved out west to chase skiing. I got introduced to the backcountry pretty quickly and decided to go down the ACMG route and work as a ski guide - which I’ve now been doing for 7 years.

    Outside of VMT, I like to nerd out about snow science - in fact I hold a Masters in Snow Avalanche Mechanics from the University of Calgary. I currently work full-time as a Geotechnical Engineer for the Ministry of Transportation in Nelson, and any time that’s left over is spent exploring the great outdoors.

Dale Caton

Storyteller, Head of Sauna Operations
Unofficial VMT Tail Guide

  • Years at VMT: 31
    Favourite ski run:

    I bought Valhalla Mountain Touring in 1991 when it was just a tiny little cabin. During the following 20 years I built the new lodge, installed the micro-hydro system and single-handedly moved the original cabin (which is now the sauna building) 10 feet to the left. It’s been a pretty fun journey to see the lodge and business flourish.

    Now, I let Jasmin run the show and just pop up to the lodge when I need to get a ski fix. I spend most of the winter down in Mexico, but if you’re visiting in December or April, don’t be surprised if you find me in the sauna.

Alicia Bodaly

Chef

  • Years at VMT: 8
    Favourite ski run: Shannon Lake
    Favourite apres appy: Nachos!

    I was born and raised in Lillooet but lived in the Fraser Valley for most of my adult life with some forays into the Kootenays and Okanagan. I was in and out of the restaurant industry from the age of 14 onwards serving tables, slinging drinks, managing people and a business.

    In 2014 I sold my interests in the restaurant I co-owned in Abbotsford and moved to the Kootenays. VMT was looking for a chef to fill in that winter and I was hooked. I’ve been working in the kitchen ever since.

    I now live in Kimberley with my husband, our 11yo Kelpie and sometimes my two step-kids. When I’m not backcountry skiing, I mountain bike, run in the mountains and work as a chef for a local food recovery program and cater for private events.

Mary Savage

Chef

  • Years at VMT: 5
    Favourite ski run: Debbie’s Delight
    Favourite apres appy: Soup

    I’ve been cooking for 15 years. My first ever week as a professional chef was as a fill-in at Ice Creek Lodge. I learnt so much and it inspired me to go back to school, so I headed back to Quebec and completed a culinary degree in Montreal, before returning to BC to work as a backcountry chef.

    In the summer, I work as a chef for Maple Leaf Adventures, which runs intimate small-ship cruises along the BC and Alaska coasts. I feel really lucky with where I get to work.

    Beyond cooking, I have a 13 year old son called Logan, who basically grew up at VMT. He stood here for the first time, did his first ski run here and even used to have baths in the kitchen sink.

Mathieu Lebail

Custodian

  • Years at VMT: 2
    Favourite ski run: Little Brother Burn

    I grew up in the suburbs of Paris and spent much of my early life as a cool kid city skateboarder. I did a little snowboarding in the French Alps, but never got the chance to live the real mountain life.

    During my twenties I left France behind and worked my way around the world as a bike courier, server and many other things. I’ve lived in Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, China, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Australia and New Zealand, but I found home in 2018 when I landed in Canada.

    When I’m not working at VMT, you’ll find me serving at Pitchfork in Nelson, helping Jasmin look after her kids, pushing my newfound skiing skills at Whitewater or hitting the local trails on my mountain bike.

Nick Smith

Custodian

  • Years at VMT: 2
    Favourite ski run: Double dessert

    I grew up in Rossland, BC and have been skiing since I was 2. I ski raced for 15 years but by my late teens was ready to leave skiing behind.

    I trained as a heavy equipment operator, but as I stayed in my hometown, I ended up working as a snowcat driver in the wintertime. After a few years of being surrounded by guides, I decided to pick up my skis again and head back in that direction. I’m now chasing the dream of becoming an ACMG guide and all of my energy and money is going towards that!

    Outside of skiing, I do a lot of trail running, mountain biking and exploring in the Rossland Range and around the Kootenays.

Alex Myers

Custodian

  • Alex is a mystery.