PowderGangster

Trip: Heliotrope Ridge Mt Baker - Date: 10/25/2012 Trip Report: After getting the big shutdown on my attempt to TAY for 2011/2012 I was eager to try and kickstart the streak again. After seeing pictures of Heliotrope last weekend I knew I needed to do a little recon. 4 cars in the parking lot when we got there with lots of eager powder hunters. Well we were not disappointed. Vis wasn't the best and some big crevasses prevented a full exploration. Face shots in October rules! [img:center]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aPZB02AYmDk/UInuYlX6CfI/AAAAAAAAAJ8/sk_Cd8Pcc-w/s320/sweetshot.jpg[/img] Full write up at powdergangster.ca

Trip: - Sea to Summit! Cypress turns. Date: 5/26/2012 Trip Report: In Vancouver we are fortunate that our local mountains get an enormous amount of snow which tends to stay around well into June. This made grabbing some quick turns for May wasn't going to be a problem but I needed to put in some road miles after working all week. The fear of a 200 mile day looming scares me into training even after a long week. A plan was hatched to combine a road ride with a ski. Not just any road ride but a ride from the ocean all the way to the top of Cypress ski area. The ride up Cypress is by no means that hardest climb on the North shore but it is a worthy climb and for those who follow cycling it would be a category 1/2 climb in the Tour de France. With short pitches over 9% it causes your legs to scream for mercy. [img:center]http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CJuM7fAuy6E/T8DsVvnOz0I/AAAAAAAAAIA/_FGOZP7heNA/s320/weapons+of+choice2.jpg[/img] A little over 2 hours from the time we left the car we were back putting our ski gear on. We weren't the only ones skiing either. As we skinnied up Mike realized that he forgot his skins! Rookie move but he soldiered on and bootpacked the whole way. With great views of the lions and Howe Sound we clicked in and capped off my most unique ski day ever! Sometimes you have to get creative with your activities to keep everything exciting. A pretty cool way to have a 5000ft day! [img:center]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pDmO4xe7HPg/T8Dsfuvz6AI/AAAAAAAAAII/6S7710TUzfA/s320/sweetmayturns.jpg[/img] Full write up and pictures http://bit.ly/KUutFQ or powdergangster.ca

Trip: Equinox Colouir - Duffey Lake Road - Date: 4/9/2012 Trip Report: A little exploration yielded a neat new line. This year has been pretty tame in terms of the big lines that we have been able to hit. Either there has been too much snow or the visibility just wasn't their. Testing the stability... With enough info we found this little gem on Chief Pascal. This colouir led right into the run that is known as Equinox which drops straight down to the valley bottom. It was supposed to be and easy day but 5000ft of skiing later we headed back to pembie ready for another big day! Full write up click here http://bit.ly/Hwz1CC or powdergangster.ca

Trip: Channel Creek Duffey Lake Road - Date: 3/27/2012 Trip Report: Fighting the urge to start riding my mountain bike. But the phone keeps ringing and willing partners are keeping the stoke alive. [img:center]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9aCKstXiv0g/T3JhC6E6XKI/AAAAAAAAAGo/hQu_hNmBmqw/s320/GROUPSHOT.jpg[/img] Armed with 50 pounds of gear each we set out to the Duffey Lake road ready for an adventure. We had tried to venture into Channel Creek on our first trip of the year Link here . So we were keen to see if we could add another area to our list. Passing each trail head and counting cars some areas (Cerise, Cayoosh,etc) had upwards of 40 people. Far too many for my liking. This area has lots of potential but it may take a few more trips to hammer out a good route to the skiing. Lots of bushwacking and only about 300m of skiing is all that a 4 hour hike produced. Type 2 fun at its best. The Duffey is becoming quite popular I have never seen so many cars! Full write up here http://bit.ly/HdkNs8 or powdergangster.ca

Can't remember exactly probably 1/500 maybe a little faster.

Never to late to get after it Rob!

Trip: Rogers Pass - Date: 3/1/2012 Trip Report: After two good days at RMR we were off to Rogers Pass. The slow solitary march with friends is more my style then the hustle and bustle of the lift line shuffle. With limited openings in the Pass we headed to McGill permit area an area that I have never explored. The sun and the views were a welcome sight. Silky pow turns for all. Our day in McGill ended and with the information collected during out snow assessment we knew that we would be playing it on the safer side for our last day. The two layers responsible for the avalanche advisory were clearly visible but proved very difficult to trigger. We were spooked however on the consequences of 100cm thick slab breaking loose. I think this is probably the last trip I get to do in Rogers Pass this year. A heavy work schedule and a wife who wants to see her husband more might mean more local trips. more photos and a full write up http://bit.ly/yHe2uz or powdergangster.ca

I think it would have been good in manning park as well sunday. So much snow fell on the friday night.The crust was there on solar aspects the wind had blown it all on the north eastern side of the mountain. I haven't touring in manning any good skiing?

Trip: Coquihalla Highway - Thar Peak Date: 2/20/2012 Trip Report: After a Thursday night mission on the north shore I was craving something a little longer, a little deeper. Friday nights storm dropped a massive 60cms on the North Shore of Vancouver leading me to believe that skiing might be good in other spots as well. Off the Coquihalla again.... It seems to be the go to spot this year. The snow pack is growing deeper and deeper every time I head east filling in all the gully's and smoothing out the features. There was no sunshine and the 2 to 4 cms forecasted for the day was more like 10cms. That was on top of the 30cms or so that fell Friday/Saturday. Avalanche conditions were deteriorating by the minute and the snow seemed to change constantly as we worked up the mountain. So we bailed..... We still had to navigate a safe route down. Great turns where had. [img:center]http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7045/6907712983_8172fbb688.jpg[/img] powdergangster blog

If you are coming from Vancouver if you can survive the Coq you are normally good to go. There is only really one scary part past Kamloops which is the drop into 3 valley gap. There is however one open stretch just after Kamloops that snow drifts and blows that can be real nasty. I second the motion on not repairing your windshield that drive has claimed 2 of mine in the last 5 years.

I am working on a complete list of resources for people who have never been. It is easy to get overwhelmed with the options Rogers pass is pro with Parks Canada running the show. The rangers at the resource centre are super helpful and will give you tips and ideas of area's to hit (most of them tour extensively) Additionally at info centre there is a book of photo's highlighting the best runs in the pass. My only suggestion there is don't just blindly follow ski tracks as the level of experience there varies to the extremes so you may be setting yourself up with a scary run or a dangerous up track. Look beyond Asulkan and Connaught drainages and you will tour by yourself.

Trip: Rogers Pass January 25-31st - Date: 1/25/2012 Trip Report: Ski touring is often about timing. Sometimes you're left with nothing more than enduring endless hours of skinning, with riding so marginal that you wish you had of stayed in bed. Other times, all conditions are sublime and you are poised for the ski day of your life. [img:center]http://backcountryskiingcanada.com/forums/wp-content/forum-image-uploads/powdergangster/_thumbs/_large_pat1edit_copy.jpg[/img] The weather forecasts for the week showed snow everyday with light winds. Everything was lining up and our timing couldn’t have been better. Our group tends to seek the more adventurous areas, leaving the masses behind in search of the hidden gems of Rogers Pass. Sit back enjoy a week of powder skiing in Rogers pass. [img:center]http://backcountryskiingcanada.com/forums/wp-content/forum-image-uploads/powdergangster/_thumbs/_large_wilsonlowres_copy.jpg[/img] With an incoming storm we bailed to Revy. Not before we shredded like this.. [img:center]http://backcountryskiingcanada.com/forums/wp-content/forum-image-uploads/powdergangster/_thumbs/_large_pat4lowres_copy.jpg[/img] For full write up and lots of pictures powdergangster.ca orhttp://bit.ly/yCGWKm

Trip: Coquihalla Highway - Falls lake area Date: 1/15/2012 Trip Report: Sometimes things just work out. Sitting in the pub at Mount Seymour watching light fluffy snow fall Friday night and waking up Saturday morning to snow on the streets of Vancouver, I knew there was a real possibility that this could be a rare cold smoke coastal ski weekend. Rallying the troops for a ski mission, I poured over weather data and settled on the Coquihalla Highway, site of my first and what I consider the only other REAL pow day I have had all year. 40cms of pure fluff good stability. It will still be good for a while up there if the wind stays away! Check out the full details Powder Gangster Blog or http://bit.ly/zauOlS

Trip: Duffey Lake Road January 7/8 2012 - Joffre Shoulder Date: 1/9/2012 Trip Report: First trip of season on the Duffey lake Road. We headed into the Joffre Shoulder area. Deep down I was hoping for some epic powder skiing but based on the weather lately I was willing to accept moderate even terrible skiing. Still pretty thin below 1500m but almost 200cm's above 1700m. Mother nature needs to lay a beating to the mountains up north! The surface hoar layer is still lurking in the snow pack some 70cms below the surface. It is gaining strength but not to the point where we were willing to venture into anything big and exposed! We were still able to get almost 1000m of skiing including some great turns. Day 2 was an exploration mission with rising freezing levels. We ventured into Channel Cr and were met with minimal snow and slide alder bushwacking. More info and photos Powdergangster Blog

Late last season I had the lucky opportunity to get my hands on a pair of G3’s Alpinest Splitboard Climbing Skins. I’ve been a long time user of the Voile Tractor Skins but the Genuine Guide Gear skins were a welcome addition to my backcountry setup and after over 20 days of use my experience can only be described as magical… and here’s why. First Impression: Smooth, sleek and very flexible. These skins are definitely easier to manipulate making it a breeze to pack in a small nylon pouch or even roll to fit in my jacket pocket. The laminated adjustable tip and tail connectors allow for a solid adhesion of the skin with board – no gaps at the tip, loose edges or flapping corners! On the uptrack: I’ve never felt the traction to be any better or worse in comparison with the Voile Tractor Skins. The ability to glide smoothly in the G3 skins however, is significantly noticeable compared to the Voile Skins – a big bonus when travelling on flat terrain and ski out descents. Key features: The tail connector is what I believe to be the best feature of these skins and in my opinion a THE worthy reason to purchase this product. In short, having a tail clip makes life on the hill easier and absolves the need to be anal-retentive when it comes to snow coming in contact with the skin adhesive. We’ve all likely experienced sliding backwards on steep skin tracks, powder creeping under the skins on the side hill, and the accidental dropping of the skin in the snow during transition. The tail clip ensures the skin stays under the board, regardless of the adhesive losing some tackiness because of snow. There is nothing worse than cutting your trip short because the skins are no longer sticking to the bottom of your board! G3’s hydrophobic waterproofing treatment is another great feature and is a testament to the effort and detail these guys invest on product development and improving functionality. The waterproofing treatment helps avoid absorption of moisture from the snow and it's a welcome relief the skins don't feel twice as heavy after a full day of touring. Overall: I spend less time worrying about my skins and more time on the big lines I’m about to hit! They work well and even better, look darn pretty. This is a fantastic product from a company that considers all the elements of splitboarding and skinning to develop improvements and efficiency. A worthy investment for any splitty and a welcome addition to the ever-expanding industry. For more product information, photos and video, check out G3's website: http://www.genuineguidegear.com/gear/skins/alpinist-splitboard-climbing-skins

Trip: Coquihalla Highway - Thar Peak Date: 11/21/2011 Trip Report: Watching the webcam all week I knew it would be a good day to get out and possibly slay some pow. 125cms base with over 30cms of new it seems that winter has arrived. Minimal rocks but still lots of slide alder at the bottom of the valley. For a full report with Maps click below Powdergangster.blogspot.com