Search results

I toured up Heliotrope Ridge on the north side of Mount Baker. Normally a popular zone in the early and late season, it’s currently quite boney by Baker standards. The Coleman Glacier would typically be buried by now Despite the freezing levels approaching 9k feet, the snow remained pretty...

I had low expectations for opening weekend at Whistler. With no other ski areas open in the region due to a lack of snow, I expected big crowds and marginal skiing. Emerald with Mount Currie in the distance It turned out to be not as bad as I feared. The crowds were manageable most of the day...

Where are the roots? I don’t see any ;) Now that I’ve become accustomed to the techy trails of the North Shore, I freakin’ love a good rocky and rooty trail. Super fun stuff once you get the hang of it.

Considering the relatively low snowpack, I definitely didn’t expect much from my first tour of the season today. At most, I was expecting to work on my technique, dial in the gear and ski down the 542. However, on the way up to Artist Point, some of the north facing chutes above Bagley Lakes...

I picked up a pair of Ripstick 96s late last season, and so far I am very happy with them. They ski well in a variety of conditions, making them a good choice as a daily driver at Whistler. They’re also light enough to be a decent touring ski, and I have them paired with some Duke PTs for easy...

The notch is lovely and all, but the terrain and the potential for danger in there isn’t particularly unique globally. There are quite a number of ski areas with lift access adjacent to complex terrain. People do stupid sh*t. A lift won’t change that.

At the head of the valley separating Whistler from Blackcomb lies Overlord Mountain. It’s an imposing sight when viewed from the Peak to Peak gondola and hard to miss with its sizable (though fast disappearing) glaciers. Overlord with the Peak to Peak gondola dangling above With an assist...

Most expansions in recent decades have been lateral—not downwards. Grand Targhee, Kicking Horse, Lake Louse, Red…expanded outwards adding terrain at elevation with snow conditions on par with the rest of the resort. Aside from some terrain on Park Bench, that’s not what this DV expansion is...

This looks to be the largest expansion of marginal terrain in several decades. 16 new lifts? 3,700 acres? That’s like adding all of the acreage and lifts of Blackcomb to DV (and then some). Except, make most of those acres low elevation and completely dependent on snowmaking most years. Nice...

Thanks so much! Hiking is such a funny word as it connotates so many different things depending on the person. I’d characterize Ossa as easy mountaineering due to the route finding, exposure and hazards involved—though scrambling also nicely describes where hiking and mountaineering start to...

I’ll never forget my first scramble. It was the southeast slide on Mount Colden, and I was hooked by the thrill and sense of accomplishment it brought. A couple decades older, now living on the other side of the continent, I’ve been rediscovering my love of scrambling after a bit of a hiatus...

This weekend I did a scramble in the Cerise Creek area east of Pemberton, BC. This is a popular destination for backcountry skiers and mountaineers, one that I’m hoping to check out this winter. Keith’s Hut made for a cozy resting spot just below the alpine. Though empty on this visit, it is...

Garibaldi Lake is a special place located just south of Whistler. While it can get a bit crowded in spots—it’s one of those places I’m willing to return to (despite the masses) because it’s truly a spectacular landscape. Photos taken from Mount Price. Interestingly, the lake is nearly 850’ deep...

I used to love visiting that swimming hole, as well as the many others along the creek.

Exactly Sno. The gondola is so many years away at this point, it’s quite possible it never comes to fruition and the snow sheds, tolling and increased bus service ends up being an adequate enough solution. We shall see.

Yikes! I can’t even begin to imagine being stuck in a tent during such extreme weather. I’m not surprised to see the damage to 218 considering the excessive rainfall amounts. Hopefully the repairs don’t take too long to implement.

Barely rising 5600’ above sea level, Golden Ears feels much grander than its elevation would suggest—rising quite steeply and prominently above the Vancouver Metro area. Snowfield below the Golden Ears summit Much of the trail leading to the alpine is rocky, rooty, muddy and severely eroded...

I kicked off my hiking season this weekend in the Canadian Cascades. The snow pack is rapidly disappearing at elevation—which is a bit concerning. On the plus side, I won’t have to wait until late July/August to hit some of the bigger objectives this year. Chilliwack Lake and the Northern...

I haven’t done any biking on Seymour or Fromme, yet. I mostly ride at Burke Mountain and Bert Flinn since they are both close enough to bike to. Eagle is also close but it’s pretty challenging terrain. This YouTuber does a really good job of capturing the trails locally. I’ve also done some...

I also ride a hard tail. I haven’t ever observed any knee pain as a result, and most of my riding is on techy, rocky/rooty trails in BC. I’d love a good dual suspension bike, but I currently can’t justify the costs to own and maintain one. Plus, I have a lot more technique to learn before I...