Book excerpt: "The granite spire peaks of the Three Bears rise above the Lizard Range and Cedar Valley like sentinels guarding a secret place. And a very special place it is. The Cedar Valley is home to a unique old growth rainforest including: 800-year-old Cedar trees, giant larch, spruce and Douglas fir. Grizzly bears, cougar, elk and moose prowl the pristine valley as they have for millennia. The intense micro-climate produces an unusual amount of snow for this part of the Rocky Mountains, thus adding to the reputation of one of the best know backcountry lodges in North America ? Island Lake Lodge. Bears Above the Valley explores the diverse history of the Cedar Valley and Island Lake Lodge. Flora and fauna, as well as a history of skiing and snowboarding, are well documented with stunning photography and insightful text. Scot Schmidt, the godfather of freeskiing, and Craig Kelly, the pioneer of big mountain snowboarding, are two of the many ski industry characters that are covered and an integral part of the Island Lake story." --Publisher's description.