Classic tour in the Blackcomb backcountry.

Celebrating Ziff’s birthday with a tour into the back 9. First time to the summit of Charlie Chandler.

Touring around The Spearhead.

Duffey powder.

Bumps tour with a friend.

Exploring a basin below Mount Cook.

Excellent day with a strong crew in the Blackcomb backcountry.

Musical Bumps during munchkin ski lessons.

Great skiing in the Musical Bumps.

Tree skiing in a quiet corner of the Duffey.

Last trip of 2017.

Perfect day of touring.

Birthday ski off Whistler

Good day of skiing on the Black Tusk accessed from Helm Creek

Still a bit early in the season but good views made it worthwhile.

Not my most successful outing. Too early perhaps?

Words by Stephen Ziff, Images by Matt Gunn (Lea Zhecheva’s poetic trip report can be found here) The texting begins on Tuesday.  Unlike this past stormy winter, the forecast is actually great for the weekend and Matt mentions one of our unfinished goals for the season: the Tantalus traverse.  We think about a three-day trip, but…

After three attempts we found good conditions on the face. Patience pays off…

Headed out with thoughts of steep skiing. Conditions didn’t pan out for the steeps but it was an excellent day for the traverse.

Another great day of touring with a good crew. We took advantage of the plowed Van Horlick Road but chose a route that provided access to a summit with minimal exposure to avalanche terrain. Good times!

Wilf and I had a great trip up to Watersprite Lake. Day one found us skiing four lines, three in the south basin and one in the north basin. Day two ambitions changed when we stepped out of the hut to find Wilf’s binding missing a toe pin, homeward bound! Watersprite Cabin Crossing Watersprite Lake…

Ziff’s birthday turned out well. We spent the day in the Squamish backcountry skiing couloirs and chutes. Ziff getting his first taste of Sea to Sky Gondola touring. Ziff preparing to ski a couloir on the northeast flank of Ledge Mounting. Northeast Ledge Mountain flank couloir. Heading up into the Nai-Ledgeling east couloir (curving out of site to…

Great times in the Duffey! Below Tszil. En route to the Tszil summit. Past Taylor, headed for Heart Strings. Ross enjoys first tracks down Heart Strings. Ryan on Heart Strings Ross on Heart Strings

Great trip to Callaghan Country for a night at Journeyman Lodge. We managed to get some excellent touring and spent the evenings relaxing in comfort. Looking forward to more time at the lodge! Preparing for a sled ride into the lodge. Journeyman Lodge, our accommodations for the night. Starting off with a tour up Journeyman…

Great day out in the Squamish backcountry. There’s some great skiing at Anif Peak. Mike and I ascended the yellow route and skied two laps identified in blue. There’s a lengthy logging road approach to get to this point which we shortened dramatically using a sled. Anif is accessed off the Mamquam Forest Service Road via the…

We set out with ambitions of steep skiing but didn’t find the conditions we were looking for. Spearhead day trip was the consolation prize. Hard to beat!

Great day touring in the Watersprite Lake area  

More good skiing above the Sea to Sky Gondola

Sledded up to Brohm Ridge for an afternoon climb of Mount Garibaldi. Incredibly cold and windy.

Ziff and I had a great day skiing along the Howe Sound Crest Trail.

Looking for powder on Mount Sproatt.

Touring above the Sea to Sky Gondola with Vance and Heather.

More good fun above the Sea to Sky Gonodola

Great day touring with John, Grahame and Mike in the Stadium Glacier area. Lot more exploring to do in this area.

More fun exploration in the Sea to Sky Gondola backcountry. Marty and I turned around partway up this couloir due to the presence of windslab but managed to make an enjoyable tour out of the day.

Out with a good crew for some storm skiing above Hanging Lake.

Had a fantastic day in the Whistler backcountry with some fine folks. Skied a short chute in the Corral but wind effect sent us back to the Cowboy Ridge where we found excellent snow conditions. Headed up Oboe Views towards Fissile Robin in the Apostles GQ in a Corral Chute Robin in Corral Chute Geoff…

Out for a Blackcomb tour with a Cam, Jamie, Stephen and Mike.

Great trip with Marty and Wilf out to Cowboy Ridge. Fantastic conditions!