Golden (BC), Canada – I really remember just a few snapshots from the collision… a sharp voice shouting from behind me… something big moving from left to right in front of me…and my friend Greg’s hands protecting his face as he watched the spectacle from the passenger seat. It seemed as though we’d tagged the … Continue reading Kicking Horse: Skiing Adventure in the Canadian Rockies
Girdwood, AK – Since the early 1990s, Alaska’s Chugach range has become legendary for long and steep helicopter ski runs in a deep maritime snowpack. Most operators are based in Valdez, and the risk of poor weather and limited visibility leading to repeated no-fly days is well known. I was therefore attracted to Alyeska Resort, … Continue reading North by Northwest: Skiing Alaska’s Alyeska Resort & Chugach Powder Guides
Eden, UT – We stopped at the bottom of the bowl to look back up the hill. Four tracks, just four, stretching skyward for over 1,000 vertical feet…and only four of us standing there to witness our handiwork. That, folks, is the essence of Powder Mountain, a little known deep snow nirvana perched high above … Continue reading Powder Mountain: Skiing Below the Radar
Lake Louise (AB), Canada – It’s been said somewhere that your chances of scoring powder or otherwise exceptional conditions on an advanced-booked destination ski trip are, at best, in the 35% range. Based on the 25 cross-country or transatlantic expeditions I’ve made over the past six seasons, that figure seems to be about right. Like … Continue reading Late-Season Paydirt at Lake Louise
Crystal Mountain, WA – Virtually unknown to skiers outside the state of Washington, Crystal Mountain is a local’s ski area with world class terrain and copious amounts of snow. With more than 2,300 acres spanning 3,100 vertical feet in-bounds (2,612 feet lift-served), and an avalanche controlled backcountry more than doubling it’s acreage, Crystal Mountain ranks … Continue reading Crystal Mountain, Washington: Undiscovered World-Class Gem
Taos Ski Valley, NM – Taos Ski Valley is perhaps the last major North American ski resort still operated by its founding family. Swiss immigrant Ernie Blake developed this tough and remote area after World War II and succeeded in creating a unique ambience via small European-style family lodges and personalized service, particularly the ski … Continue reading Taos, New Mexico: A Ski Resort Guide
Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, Russia – We are all deep in thought as the roar of the helicopter’s engines takes us back to reality. Moving towards the take-off area, our hearts start beating faster. Like a lazy bumble bee the helicopter lifts off the ground and rises slowly. For a few seconds it seems to stand still … Continue reading Kamchatka: Helicopter Skiing at the End of the World