Gimme some more Pow!

Here we go: third straight weekend out there on the mountain with the Swedish Crew, 3 days back 2 back powder action from Canada's best West Coast action spot!

Back in Whistler on that friday, with perfect sunshine conditions and no crowd to begin another funtastic weekend in Whistler-Blackcomb

We find a very nice spot on the back of Whistler peak to enjoy fresh tracks in perfect powder conditions!

The snow is glinting under the morning sun...

Switch my google to sun mode, we get ready for some good riding time

Since there is no lift on that side of the mountain, we go back to some old style hiking.

If you look close enough, you can see the mountain reflecting in the lake at the far end, what a view!

Bloody Beautiful!

The Swedish Crew!

We find a nice jump in the backcountry, and since I have a knee injury still in the healing, I'm the official photographer of the crew...

Stefan

Joaquim On top of the world

At the end of the day, after the last hike, the Crew poses for Posterity!

The second day, we wake up early for some nice morning groomer

We go straight to the top...

And get warmed up with some extreme Whistler couloir

(Yes this is where we are going down!)

Sebastian joined us on that second day for some sunshine powder action;

Here, he lands a nice bank drop

Seba in action in the park, I run the follow up camera:

360

540 (almost clean!)

Later that day, we do the Peak 2 Creek backcountry run, and I get a piece of the action

A little video of a 5 meter gap..almost clean

Another backcountry jump, I take my photographer role again...

Oli (the Australian)

Seba with his famous 540

Felik's (Germany) attemp to 720, only missing by a little 30 percent...smashing himself, both skis and goggles ejected and a broken pole

The last day, Leena (Australia), Brigett (New-Zeland), Eric (USA) and I go on to tackle some backcountry hiking on the Blackcomb side

Leena taking a break on the hillside

Once again, another great weekend ou there on the mountain...we conclude today's presentation with my favorite shot of the weekend: The sun peering out at the end of the second day to light up the backcountry terrain

Until Next Time!!!

Double Timer --> Mt. Baker and Whistler!!!

What a Week End!!!

Jerome, Kyle and I start off with famous Mount Baker situated in the State of Washington. We first slept at Kyle's place in New Westminster on friday night which saved about 40 minutes for the next morning's trip. We cross the US border early saturday morning, and we get ready for some insane powder. After a few snowy days, Mount Baker has a clear sunny day in the morning coupled with mild temperature and no wind, Perfect Conditons!!

We start by getting our tickets (47$!!), which holds a significant slogan!

(Sorry about the blurry picture)

Sunny Pics from a great morning in what many said to be "The best day in Baker this season" !!

First lift (we took our first run under the lift, we were so stocked!!)

With Kyle and Jerome!

Top of the first chair, the morning view is breathless

Looking at our first ride of the day, getting ready for first tracks!

Getting better at those mountain shots! Here is one of my favorite

The Canyon was open...

Finding some hidden face in the canyon to ride in fresh powder!

Myself on the ride

Jerome making some tracks

Kyle blowing a square meter of snow right into Jerome who's taking the picture!! (with my camera...)

Looking at this uncut face, I had an idea...

Later that day, equipped with avalanche gear (which was mandatory: they checked at the entrance of the freeride area) I made my way up there and went down the right side of the face to add a track to those already there! What a run!

Kind of blurry, but I like it anyway, adds something to the picture...

At the end of the day, the clouds moved in pretty quickly, and I had time for a last hike. I was without the guys (they didnt have AV gear) and went to one of my best run of the day called "The Pyramid". You can see others going up to that spot as well (on the right), walking with their equipment on their back, that is some real backcountry stuff!! On my way there, I met a group whom I joined for the ride

END of First day!! We fight our way back to Vancouver in time to see the Canucks beat the Penguins with an astonishing 6-2!

We get some rest and the next morning (sunday) we are back on the slopes, this time Canadian ones, in Whistler! It was very cloudy and snowy in the morning, and we found good spots to ride good powder

Going in the woods where lots of snow made for some wicked powder runs

...so much that I sometimes couldnt see where I was going!

After a good day in Whistler/Blackcomb, the clouds drifted away to let us enjoy the sun one more time. We then went for one last hike to Spanky's ladder.

Just before we went down the face, getting ready on the ridge, looking down on both side to a cloud flooded valley!

What a run!! Went down a steep couloir, after having found some good snow and steep terrain on Sapphire Bowl, I take one more shot of our last run down on Blackcomb Glacier

EPIC WEEK-END!!!

Whistler Time

I take the occasion of another successful week end in Whistler to post a few pictures I took just before coming back to Quebec for the holidays. As I'm writing those lines, I just arrived from a very wet week end (10-11 Jan) in the mountains where freezing level reached 1800 m. Having Whistler top at around 2100m, it means the better part of the slope was in slushi conditions and sometimes even putting breaks on the board while I was trying to surf down the mountain. We found good spots for thick and heavy knee deep powder!

Anyway, enough of that story telling, and lets get started with pictures I took on that beautiful last riding day of 2009 on that 19th of December. It was a great sunny day, not too much wind and not cold either, all conditions were there for a very nice day. I was on my own that day, and it enable me to go out there and hike some wicked spots for powder and go at my own rythm!

At the top of the Whistler gondola, I go above the clouds for a morning shot

I then fight my way up to Whistler Peak for a hig-above-ground view of the surrounding valley

One of my favorite shots: Whistler Village hidden under the morning fog in the valley, what a view!!!

I  walk up solo and ride down Whistler Couloir that has an approx. 45 degrees incline!

I go to the extreme end of Whistler to the Symphony area...

...and start hiking (on the right side, you can see people on their way up) to go up on Flute Bowl!

On the way up, the frozen environment makes for a very nice winter shot

I get to the top in about 20 minutes, have a lunch up there, and with a beautiful view of Blackcomb side, go down on one of the best fresh tracks of that day! (in the bowl on the right side)

 

 

Down in the valley, looking up to the sun and Flute Bowl on that beautiful day

 

To complete this magnificent day, I go up 7th Heaven, walk behind all the way across the BlackComb glacier, then up to the couloir that brings me back to the base of 7th Heaven.

Best track of that day; I was alone on the mountain, only two other tracks on that side, and lots of snow to float in!

 

What a day!