Posts Tagged photographs images

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 [...]

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 [...]

Can It Be? No Love in Whistler.

It’s been a tough year for backcountry skiing just about anywhere in the west. According to avalanche.org, there have already been 22 avalanche fatalities in the US and Canada. Not all of these were backcountry skiers, a couple were rock/ice climbers and almost half were snowmobilers. Here in the Pacific Northwest, our season was slow [...]

Backcountry Skiing Photo Of The Day

Winter has officially arrived here in the Pacific NW. Besides a few breaks here and there, it’s pretty much been snowing for the past two weeks. This is great for the snow pack, but unfortunately the backcountry is hard to reach and scary to be in at the moment. We’re not alone. The other day [...]

Skiing Pic Of The Day: Kettle Range, WA

Snow is finally starting to fall here in the Pacific Northwest and soon enough we should all be enjoying some backcountry ski tours. For now I’ll take what I can get, even if it’s a couple ski photos from past trips. This shot was snapped on a three-day ski tour to the Snow Peak hut [...]

How Bad Is It? Bad Enough to Run Up Mt Si

It’s that bad. Dec 7th, 2008, and still no snow in the Washington Cascades. So what’s a backcountry skier to do? How about go for a trail run up Mt Si? Sounds like fun right? We’re getting desperate, but at least the 4,000 ft climb up Mount Si was under clear blue skies and afforded [...]

Think Outside the Box: Beautiful & Inspiring Winter Landscape & Skiing Photos For the Holidays!

Time is running out on holiday shopping. Which is kind of scary, because with Christmas only a couple weeks away, there still is barely any snow in them hills! I woke up this morning, as I do every day, looked out the window and the Olympic Mountains are bare bare bare. It will come they [...]

Mt Rainier Backcountry Ski Tour

There a lot of folks here in the PNW who actually ski year-round. I’m not one of them. But I do love backcountry skiing and there really is nothing like that first ski tour of the year. Despite a pretty abysmal start to the winter, we were lucky to hit Mt Rainier on a very [...]

No Snow? Go Surfing.

All of us backcountry skiers in Washington are waiting patiently for the snow to fall. In the meantime there are other adventures we can partake in. Unlike a large portion of my friends who are enjoying epic whitewater paddling at the moment, my wife and I took advantage of the abnormally warm and sunny weekend [...]