Ron Andrews, father of Lars and, whether he likes the word or not, patriarch of Whitecap Alpine as we know it. A ‘get thing’s done’ sorta guy with a passion for strong coffee, skiing and fixing things. The kinda person you want around when you’re bunkered up in an isolated mountain cabin, 1,860 meters above sea level.

Born:

Calgary Alberta… Quite a while ago…

Raised:

In rural Alberta… in several small towns. Being outside was so much fun. I’d get distracted going to school some days because I had to check my trapline… I hunted and fished with my Dad a bunch.

Current Home:

British Columbia… A house on acreage in Maple Ridge.

Years skiing:

I started backcountry skiing in Rogers Pass, Bow Summit, & the Ice-Fields Parkway from 1963 onwards. Then later all over BC & Alberta with other trips to Alaska and the Yukon.

Favourite past time (other than skiing):

Fixing broken stuff and spending time in high lonesome spaces/places.

What would you do with 10 million dollars:

Fix a lot of broken things…

Favourite lodge jams:

You’re the patriarch of the Andrews family, who owns and runs McGillivray Pass Lodge. When and how did you get your hands on this special structure?

Whoa…Patriarch…that’s a big word! To correct… McGillivray Pass Lodge is owned by a small private company, Whitecap Resorts Ltd. I rented the lodge from that company for several years for personal trips and for my young family and then later was able to buy a majority share holding in the company and I started running limited ski trips with guests and friends.

When and why was it decided to turn the lodge into a business venture?

McGillivray Lodge was originally founded as a ski lodge. I began hosting winter ski trips at the lodge in the early 1990’s and with the outstanding terrain a potential business opportunity was pretty obvious. To be honest, it was really my son, Lars, who saw the potential and opportunity when he’d become a Mountain Guide and gained a lot of experience in the Mountain Guiding/ski industry, working for CMH and other operations, as well as for himself.

What’s your role at Whitecap?

Chief fixer and doer of anything that needs to be done. Plus, helping folks to enjoy the skiing and the ambiance of our cozy isolated cabin home in the mountains.

How many hours of work would you estimate it takes to get the lodge ready for winter business?

It’s an on-going chore. Planning for fixes and repairs and improvements start in spring and summer. Then implementation and building in the fall, and then to a final busy 3-5 day push in Dec with three or four helpers to get the snow shovelled, the fires stoked and everything ready for guests…and, we might try out a few ski runs too.

What are you known for?

Getting up early in the morning, strong coffee, and a lot of funky sayings and stories… About the old days… Oh yeah, and orange hazmat gloves.

Strangest thing you’ve seen someone do on skis or a snowboard out there?

I’ve promised not to ever tell that story again.

What’s the most impressive skiing/ riding you’ve witnessed out on McGillivray Pass? Who/What/When?

Lars, Lusti, Joey V and Hoji on a variety of insane lines off Prospector Peaks, and on “CODY” and the “Hang-Over Chutes”… Done in the past 2-3 years.

Favourite time of day at the lodge? Why?

4:30 am. That’s when it’s dark and quiet and I can get up and be alone, getting things ready for the guests to come in for morning coffee.

Any goals or plans for the lodge in the future?

Hoping to spend some easy summer days in the next few years minding the house for our summer guests.