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As a Whistler skier, it’s not only possible, I believe I’ve seen worse 😂 Big powder days midwinter, especially in a lean year, sure bring out the masses!

Spring skiing off lower flanks of the Black Tusk The lower portion of the line Black Tusk Garibaldi Lake and Mount Garibaldi

It was a gorgeous weekend to celebrate the final days of the season at Blackcomb. The weather was perfect, and the spirits were high. But lurking beneath all the good vibes, I felt like I was witnessing the end of an era. Saudan Couloir It was recently announced that summer training camps at...

How rapidly things have changed this winter. From the Mt Baker snow report: The snowfall numbers from this storm are astounding ... we've received: 92" of snowfall in the past 7 days 70" of snowfall in the past 4 days 53" of snowfall in the past 3 days Our snow base went from 53" at Heather...

Sorry to see the east coast getting a blow torch! Hopefully, the remainder of the season is saved by some nor’easters. It’s not over until it’s over. Up until yesterday, things were dire here in southwest BC. Lots of the local mountains were either closed or barely operating (as they have been...

This ski season has been garbage. Last season wasn’t much better. There’s been piss hot rain on-and-off since last Saturday all the way to the peak tops. The forecast calls for a hard freeze and a 10-day grand total of 6” of snow (if we’re lucky). Get out your ice skates. I’m not talking about...

The Gore Mountain shuffle comes in handy at the bottom of Spanky’s 😂

I just noticed the Gore sticker at the top of Spanky’s Ladder on Blackcomb. Made me smile :)

Weekday powder days in a place like Whistler can be surprisingly busy. That’s when all the locals ski, so the competition for the best zones is high. As per the “powder days are overrated” thread, I’d recommend skipping the well advertised pow day and ski the following day (a Sunday in this...

Pow days are absolutely overrated, now more than ever. The obsession with skiing powder has resulted in most skiers fighting over the same feast, leaving almost everyone with scraps. Meanwhile, I had one of my best days of the season today on Blackcomb with only 4” overnight. Without the big...

La Niña and El Niño cycles alone do not dictate the long term weather patterns for any region. There are so many factors at play. For example, conventional wisdom says that a locale like Whistler is colder and snowier during a La Niña and warmer and drier during a El Niño. In actuality, the...

I’ve never waited in a Creekside lineup that long with the new gondola, but my guess would be 1 1/2 hours. Why some of the Vancouver folks don’t drive a bit further and take the Fitz chair instead is beyond me (the free parking at Creekside isn’t worth it IMO). The new 8-pack is a people eater...

Saturday was absolutely bonkers! The morning lineups were the longest I’ve seen since moving here. That said, the crowds were totally predictable given the lackluster start of the season, and Whistler ops did a commendable job of managing to extreme volume. On Saturday, I had breakfast in the...

Winter has finally arrived. It was a stunningly beautiful weekend in Whistler with clear, blue skies following Friday’s storm. Blackcomb Peak Lower Body Bag Bowl Lower Body Bag with Whistler in the distance Conditions have vastly improved in the past week or so. Most glades could use a...

The smaller mountains are getting clobbered this season. Mount Seymour, Sasquatch and Manning Park are all closed. Grouse and Cypress are barely open with one and two “runs” respectively. Even Mount Baker, one of the snowiest ski areas on the continent, is in rough shape. Colder air is in the...

I wish! 😂 December has been and continues to be a scorcher across all of the PNW. No shortage of storms in the region either, most of it just keeps falling in the form of rain. Snow-water equivalents are now at all time lows across the Northern Cascades and Southern Coast Range of BC...

Your trip reports make me wish I explored the Alps during all those years living on the east coast. Thanks for sharing!

Indeed. How much of it falls as snow, we shall see. There’s certainly no shortage of weather in these parts during the winter months. LOL

I don’t blame you. It’s only a 2 hr drive from my place and I rarely commit to dates in advance. Inconsistent freezing levels are a huge drawback of the region. That said, when the conditions are good, there’s nothing quite like it.

Misery loves company! Not much better in the PNW. After multiple rain events and persistently high freezing levels, the base depths are now back down to where we were in November (which was an abysmal start). Could you imagine traveling all this way to ski this?