Last Updated: November 11, 2024



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Oh my! Quite the backlog here...

  • Ben Lomond - scramble (September 2023)
  • Mount Killam (Gambier Island) - hike (September 2023)
  • Lone Goat & Snow Camp Mountain - hike (September 2023)
  • Isollilock Peak - scramble (October 2023)
  • Mount Manson - Mount Hatfield Traverse - scramble (October 2023)
  • The Gargoyles & Columnar Peak - scramble (October 2023)
  • Opal Cone and Lava Glacier - hike (October 2023)
  • Park Butte (WA) - hike (October 2023)
  • Trappers Peak (WA) - scramble (October 2023)
  • Rattlesnake Ledge (WA) - hike (November 2023)
  • Sauk Mountain (WA) - hike (November 2023)
  • Sunshine Coast (Mount Daniel, Pender Hill) - hike (November 2023)
  • Mount Dickerman (WA) - hike (November 2022)
  • Verona Peak AKA Winter's End - snowshoe (November 2023)
  • Dolomites (IT) - snowboard (December 2023)
  • Red Rock Canyon (NV) - scramble (January 2024)
  • Flute Summit & Oboe Summit - snowboard (February 2024)
  • Whistler Miscellaneous (Train Wreck, Loggers Lake, Shadow Lake and more) - hike (February 2024)
  • Mount Underhill - hike (March 2024)
  • Bombtram Mountain - snowshoe (March 2024)
  • Steep Peak - snowboard (March 2024)
  • Ruby Mountain (WA) - snowshoe (April 2024)
  • Blustry Mountain - hike (April 2024)
  • Sowerby Peak (Barr East) - snowshoe (April 2024)
  • Picacho Peak (AZ) - hike (April 2024)
  • Kitt Peak Observatory (AZ) - (April 2024)
  • Mount Wrightson (AZ) - hike (April 2024)
  • Saguaro National Park (AZ) - April 2024)
  • Superstition Peak/Benchmark (AZ) - scramble (April 2024)
  • Mount Humphreys (AZ) - hike (May 2024)
  • Petrified Forest National Park (AZ) - (May 2024)
  • Piestewa Peak (AZ) - hike (May 2024)
  • Channeled Scablands (WA | Columbia Gorge, Ancient Lakes, Potholes Lake, Palouse Falls and more) - hike (May 2024)
  • Rhododendron Mountain ("Pk. 2220") - snowshoe (June 2024)
  • Flora Peak - hike (June 2024)
  • Gibson Peak - snowshoe (June 2024)
  • Mount Urquhart - scramble (June 2024)
  • Rock Mountain (WA) - hike (July 2024)
  • Ladies Pass Quartet (WA | Cape Horn, Ladies Peak, Snowgrass NE Peak, Snowgrass Mountain) - scramble (July 2024)
  • Old Snowy (WA) - scramble (July 2024)
  • Dog Mountain (WA) - hike (July 2024)
  • Mount Ratney & Mount Bardean - scramble (July 2024)
  • Torrent Peak - scramble (July 2024)
  • Steep Peak - Darkside Peak Traverse - scramble (July 2024)
  • Silvertip Mountain - scramble (July 2024)
  • The Old Settler - scramble (July 2024)
  • Silent Hub Peak - scramble (August 2024)
  • Saint Jacobs Mountain - scramble (August 2024)
  • Mount David (WA) - scramble (August 2024)
  • Goat Mountain West Peak & Table Mountain (WA) - hike (August 2024)
  • Griswold Pass (Tuber Hill, Glacier View Peak, Subatomic Peaks: Baryon, Meson, Muon, Lepton) - scramble (September 2024)
  • Yellow Aster Butte (WA) - hike (September 2024)
  • Mazama Dome (WA) - hike (September 2024)
  • Ptarmigan Ridge - (WA | The Portals East Peak, Coleman Pinnacle) - hike (September 2024)
  • Tetrahedron Peak - scramble (September 2024)
  • Lone Cone & Peak 86 (Tofino) - hike (September 2024)
  • Mount Athelstan ("Pk. 2460") - scramble (September 2024)
  • Excelsior Peak and Cowap Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Hollyburn Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Cheam Peak - hike (October 2024)
  • Blanchard Needle - scramble (October 2024)
  • Debeck's Hill & 4 Lakes Loop - hike (October 2024)

*As of 11/11/2024


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| Featured Trip Report |



March 2009 (Whistler Heli - Calpow Peak/Powder Mountain zone, descents into Callaghan Valley plus Rainbow Mountain)

The 6-week drought finally relented allowing winter to roar back to life for a strong March finish. Desperate to make up for lost time; our modus operandi was to catch as many chair-zero's and untracked lines as possible. For a time it seemed as if Thursday/Friday had become the new Saturday/Sunday. Worries that we wouldn't be able to ride-out our Crystal and WB pre-paids this season were quickly put to rest. Hats off to Lupo and the Crystal crew for taking a couple young padwans under your wing and teaching us the ways of the snow-samurai! As I'm sure Agata can attest, those were some all-time best chuting, slashing, dropping and yes, poaching days on the hill...period. And rest assured, your 'secrets' are safe with us.

Conditions up in BC fared notably worse this season - it seems the storm track this winter has been focused primarily on Vancouver and southward. I found many of Whistler's chute entrances considerably bonier than I recall them being in years past, with the unexpected and propitious consequence of scaring many away (never before seen so many back away in fear from the entrance to West Cirque!). Nevertheless, the 45cm day on Peak was nuts...but, holy hell I've never seen such crowds before either! The secret's out folks. Stay home or go somewhere else please.

Like junkies desperate for the next fix, we decided on a whim to up the ante and reserved our seats on Whistler Heli's new Bell 407. What can I say; the habit certainly isn't cheap, but 11 runs ranging from 2.5k - 4k(?) ft under ideal snow and weather conditions will leave you wondering why you bother riding lifts at all. Not a bad way to wrap up this mixed-bag of a winter we've endured I say. Not bad at all.

Click here to view.

February 2010 (Whistler Heli - Rutherford zone, descents from Appa Peak and more)

Round two with Whistler Heli, this time in the Rutherford Creek zone/area a bit north of Whistler Village. High winds in the alpine and snowpack stability concerns forced a more conservative slope selection than we were hoping for. Great lines were had, but we cut it short after the 6 runs included in the package. Of note was the DHS-style security screening at the Whistler heli-port - yet another 'enhancement' courtesy of the Olympics no doubt.

Click here to view.

January 2011 (Powder Mountain Heli - Cypress Peak zone, descents both sides of divide)

By a sheer stroke of luck, we were offered a last minute opportunity to claim our seats on Powder Mountain's heli (operated by Black Tusk) at a door buster price that I simply couldn't resist. We each had a couple pre-paids on Powder Mountain's snowcat that we intended to start utilizing, but unfortunately all seats were booked by the time we chose to exercise the option. All things said, I'll take a heli day over the cat anytime.

Powder Mountain's tenure seem to be concentrated on slopes around Cypress Peak with the possibility of forays farther out towards the Pemberton Icefields, the Tantalus Range and beyond. The terrain out here is open and friendly and the potential is limitless. PM's cat operation for that matter is also a worthwhile alternative (photos included), with access to excellent alpine terrain that in the right conditions and on the perfect day almost rivals their heli operation.

Click here to view.

March 2011 (Whistler Heli - Tenquile zone, into Birkenhead River Valley plus Chipmunk and Goat)

Having overheard tales of epic lines and only the finest blower powder in the area simply referred to as "Hurley" left me with a burning desire to someday go heliskiing there. More than once have I envisioned the ski potential while climbing around nearby Railroad Pass during the summer. Suffice to say that it doesn't take much of an imagination to get an idea for what is possible out here. Now imagine my surpise and excitement when the shuttle pulled north out of Whistler with the driver informing us we would be heading towards Pemberton and beyond where we would rendezvous with the heli. This could only mean one thing, and it was all good!

Whistler has a number of heli ski tenures out this way actually, and best I could tell we spent the day riding slopes in the viscinity of Tenquile Lake roughly between Birkenhead Lake Provincial Park and Railroad Pass.

Click here to view.
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