Rogers Pass: Bruins and Video Peak

With Joy in the brain I set off with some of my good friends to the hallowed halls of Rogers Pass, BC. With below average snowfall, the pass still presents about 80% more snow then we have here in the Rockies at this point- we will take it. Craig, Zach, Drew and I were looking for a couple of big days to solidify the base for the upcoming touring season, barring bad visibility we were stoked to get up high and ski off some summits and with the stability at good/good/good, we were ecstatic.

Bruins Ridge
Craig Langford- Summit of Video Peak.

Day 1 we toured up into the alpine and over Bruins Pass to shred some sweet turns down the North Bruins glacier. A couple laps here sealed the deal and we punched back over and schralped up the remaining snow in the main bruins gully and down to the Hotel. About 5500 feet total elevation gain. Burgers and enormous talk prevailed soon after.

Sweet Bruins glacier powder turns
Our last day, we toured up the familiar Connaught valley with intentions on bagging a peak, Drew had to opt out on account of blistered feet- we could tell the last thing he wanted to do was be a bench warmer and we missed him on day 2. Too bad because we schralped up some pretty sweet December powder that day...
We punched it up to the Vid and skied from the summit. We were really stoked and energy was abounding all around so we just kept on going, up over Bruins Ridge and a much needed fresh powder session down some un-tracked lines on the ridge and back into the 8812 basin. Back up we went and over to Bruins Col for a run down into Connaught and back to the hotel for some chow. About 6500 feet elevation gain.

A really great trip with a couple of decent days in the mountains with great folks. Of note the Rogers Pass Hotel is really worth going to again if you are skiing there, the food is good, the service is good and the new owners are really physched. Its good that its back on track.

Happy Holidays!

Work and Whistler

A few days ago I returned home after a great trip out to Vancouver and the surrounding area. I mixed things up this this time around with a stopover in Vernon before heading west where I enjoyed some time in Whistler, Squamish, Victoria and of course metro Vancouver. This trip revolved around work with patagonia, mostly showing the Fall 2011 line up of product. This is a very good, satisfying and busy time of year for a sales rep- lots of phone calls, emails, driving and getting ready for Christmas while toting around many bags of garments and product to show store owners.

Squamish Brew Pub and Hotel. I stayed at this great place for work and a bit of skiing in the Whistler backcountry. Gear.
Tunes, double espresso and 12oo km's..
What I do, just add some great folks into those chairs.

I must say that the highlights as always included great food, friends and some skiing. I really love the Whistler area and BC backcountry skiing in general. A good day of touring was had as well as two on hill days; one skiing 50cm of fresh powder and one following a 10 year local to all the best spots. Great times.

Now I am recharged and ready to go skiing, its on!