Backcountry Ski Photos

North Cascades Spring Ski Tour

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22 Jun ’10 by

Backcountry Ski Season Is Coming…Are you Ready?

I don’t think words are required for this one.

Avalanche Skier POV Helmet Cam Burial & Rescue in Haines, Alaska from Chappy on Vimeo.

30 Sep ’09 by

Summer in the Cascades

Who said winter is over? In the Washington Cascades, it’s winter year round.

Summer Shadow on Mt Adams

More photos coming from this past weekends ascent of Mt Adams, and descent of the SW Chutes.

1 Jul ’09 by

Backcountry Ski Photos 50% Off!

Winter is far from over here in the Pacific Northwest. Matter of fact, it appears to just be starting. But, there are signs spring is coming. Friends are wiping the dust off their mountain bikes…

For a limited time, any and all backcountry ski photos are 50% off! See below for a small selection of what’s available.

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View even more Winter and Backcountry Ski PHOTOGRAPHS here

1 Apr ’09 by

Van Epps Backcountry Ski Tour

Not many people know how extroadinary the Washington Cascades are. Heck, before I moved here I had no idea just how diverse and immense the Cascades were. Thankfully, I have a much better idea now…

This was one of those perfect days of backcountry skiing, when everything aligns just right: deep snow, cold cloudless skies and great friends to share it with.

View the full Van Epps gallery of backcountry skiing images here

10 Mar ’09 by

Dreaming Big

All backcountry skiers eventually reach a point where their local stash begins to feel small. Driving up to the mountain pass, they often peer into the distance at a wicked couloir or hear rumors about this epic 40-degree 3000 ft open bowl that is just over that ridge…

I often find myself in this situation and recently, with clear skies and relatively warm temps, the views across Puget Sound and into the Olympic Mountains have been luring me in. I haven’t read much about this relatively hard-to-reach wilderness mecca, which there may be good reason for. The other morning though, as I awoke to yet another clear day in Seattle, I shot this Olympic mountain photograph, the rising sun following a sinking full moon.

Below is a small portion of the original Olympic mountains panoramic photograph, which can viewed HERE

Sunrise over the Olympic Mountains, Olympic National Park

Today I drove up Big Cottonwood Canyon, outside Salt Lake City. Talk about dreaming big…oye.

24 Feb ’09 by

Recent Backcountry Ski Trip – Mt Rainier Slideshow

When it’s clear in Washington, there really is no better place than Mt Rainier. So this past weekend a group of us headed down for a quick ski. It felt more like spring then February but we weren’t complaining when we stepped out of the car at the parking lot near Paradise Lodge.

Rather than post individual Mt Rainier photos, I decided to put together a little slide show.

Yup, just another day at the office.

10 Feb ’09 by

Recent Backcountry Ski Trip

Recent backcountry ski report posted on mackieimages.com.

3 Feb ’09 by

The Science Behind Avalanches

I’m not sure if this is good or bad news, but regardless, it’s news. The New York Times just ran a story on the science of avalanches. As any backcountry skier knows, understanding how avalanches work is a bit of art and science…and, in my opinion, luck. The story is no doubt in response to the many avalanche fatalities so far this year.

There have been 31 fatalities this winter season, 16 in the United States and 15 in Canada, including three snowmobilers in separate avalanches on Saturday in Idaho and Montana. The record in the United States is 35 in the winter of 2001-02. Three of this winter’s fatalities occurred within the boundaries of ski trails in commercial skiing areas, which is highly unusual, because of the careful forecasting and control work done in skiing areas.

If you’re going to take anything away from this story, it should be this:

The key to improving forecasting, Dr. Adams said, is understanding the surface layer, where sun and cold cause the snow crystals to change. Understanding the energy transfer on the surface can provide information about what is going on underneath.

I’ll be heading down to Salt Lake and Steamboat in a month, hoping, of course, to get in some days touring (as well as watching the National Championship Telemark Races. My biggest concern is not knowing the snow pack, but thankfully there are avalanche center websites out there that should help with this.

The NY TImes articles can be read HERE

20 Jan ’09 by

US National Telemark Ski Team Heads To Europe

It’s not backcountry skiing per se, but I have to plug the US Telemark Ski Team as they represent what “backcountry skiing” used to be…well sort…at least the free heel part. My wife, Jeannine, is a member of the ski team, although is admittedly having a more difficult time training this year, being in Seattle versus Whitefish, MT, for the past two winters.

You can view what’s happening with the team on their site – http://www.ustsa.org – as they travel the globe, competing against the best telemark skiers in the world. Even better, show your support by donating to the team (so the athletes can do what they do best – race!) or at least try attending a telemark race, which is, by the way, a lot more exciting than you’d think.

16 Jan ’09 by