After digging out from yet another big storm cycle that dumped snow on the Methow, it was time to explore the skiing on the hill right above my house.  I rounded up a small posse of friends and we had one of the best days of lowland skiing ever.  If its this good down here, you can imagine how good it is in the mountains right now!

Paul and Larry recently had the good fortune to guide eight lovely women from the Methow Valley for four spectacular days in mid January.  They spent the time at the NC Heli yurt.  Needless to say, it was an amazing trip, and the skiing wasnt bad either.....

We are in the middle of a huge storm cycle.  Not much time to post pictures and video but here's a quick video edit of some of the recent skiing around Washington Pass.  Hopefully you have gotten the chance to enjoy some of this amazing snow.  If not, it's time to wax up those skis and head to the Pass.  

On Friday I had the chance to get out skiing with Todd Smith from Mercer Island.  Todd has skied at Washington Pass before but never in the middle of winter.  The forecast looked good so we decided to head up to the Hairpin Valley, just east of the Pass. We parked the sleds on the highway below the Early Winter Spires.  The snowmobiling was a little tricky just below the hairpin with some fresh slides over the road, but Todd had some prior experience with sled skiing so it didn't...

Read More

It takes a lot for me to feel guilty about skiing good snow, but the last few days of skiing around Washington Pass have been over the top (literally).  Looking around the country it seems like the other major mountain ranges are getting skunked.  Fortunately for us in the North Cascades we've had some sizable dumps over the last week, nearly doubling our snowpack.  I spent the last days of 2011 and the first day of 2012 skiing with our Backcountry Season Pass holders Shail Casey, Lew Miller, and Bob and Larina Davis.  What a great way to end one year and start the next.  Those of us that were out this week are feeling pretty lucky, and maybe a touch guilty.  Here's why....

It's getting pretty deep out there.  Here's a short clip from today, Friday December 30, 2011, on Delancy Ridge.  I was able to shoot more video but I don't have time to edit it right now.  I'm scheduled for another day in the "White Room" tomorrow and need to get to sleep.  Stay tuned for more......

As part of Mountaineers night at the Trails End Bookstore in Winthrop, Larry gave a slideshow presentation.  Many of those attending said they found the slides inspirational, so we thought we would share a short closing segment of the slideshow with all of you that weren't able to make it.  Enjoy!

The day after Thanksgiving should be called "White Friday" not "Black Friday".  At least thats what Bob and Larina Davis and I decided after feasting on a day of deep, gluttonous powder on Delancy Ridge.  The trailbreaking was deep and allowed us the opportuntity to work off the Thanksgiving meal.  I didnt really get to shoot a ton of video, but here is a short sampler that shows the quality of the skiing.