(Images: doa slice slash-52010, stain eSSS-52009, Pink dommer-52008,)

Not in over 25 years has so much snow fallen here in one month. January wrapped up with a record breaking 15.6 feet, with 30 of its days reporting new snow. I moved to Pemberton about 2 weeks ago, and have since been relishing some of the sickest days of my life.









(Images: dave japan dominator -52007, stain rainbow silloette-52006, dom crouch-52012, slicer deep-52005)

As you may know, Whistler has more than it’s fair share of rippers. I came from Lake Louise and Sunshine, where only a handful of core locals would be ripping burley lines on any given day. Gnarlers are falling out of the sky here, quite literally. Now that makes for some entertaining chair lift rides, but it also means that the fresh-track-feeding-frenzy is a constant factor. As I have learned, the key is to get to know some seasoned locals, who over time, have mastered the esteemed art of maggot dodging.







(images: slicer 2 b_w’s – powface-51999 _explosion-52000)

Three of my good buddies from winters past fit the suit perfectly, and are known simply as the MDK crew: Matty “the big mountain guru” Richard, Kris “Slicer” Kormier, and Dominic “Sweet sweet cherry cotton-tee packing tape” Melanson. On top of this we got Dave and Darryl Treadway, Shane “Stainer” Carmichael, Mike “Dogger” Sedivy, M-Sang, and a host of others.









(Images: matty portrait-51998, slicer portrait-51997, dom portrait-51996)

I am beginning to understand how skiing these mountains well over a hundred days a year can start to blur the sane with the insane. Boosting airs, blasting straightlines, and annihilating mogul fields is just daily routine for these local savages. I guess it gets boring for them. So, these big-mountain ninjas take it to the next level: Technical lines with nauseating exposure, steep billygoats, mandatory airs and corners, slough racing and tight top-speed exits. Needless to say, shredding with these boys is quite a gripping trip.













(Images: Dave Treadway going big-51994, slice doa down-51992, Blackomb-51981 sang staircase-52011,rob olsson-51993, )

The terrain at Blackcomb alone is worthy of years of exploration, let alone Whistler, let alone the backcountry that’s accessible just off both hills. And if that is not enough for you, there’s a chopper waiting in the valley that can bump you to the summit of any of those magnificent jagged peaks the Whistler skyline offers. One day, the five of us got onto Blackcomb around 10am, did a quick lap, and then decided that Rainbow Peak across the valley looked just too good to pass up. An hour and a half later the chopper was bombing out the valley, and we were left to the peace and glory of our own private mountain. A bluebird day and naught but thousands of feet of untracked to explore: We were kinda stoked.














(Images: chopper takeoff-51979, slicer firelake-51972, 4 summit from behi8nd-51978, slicer rime air-51977, 3 minis-51976)

This coastal snow is a little stickier than BC’s interior fluff, and what would normally be rocky cliff faces have now become vertical rime stacks resembling heavenly gargoyles. Slicer stomped a sick double right through them off of the main saddle, and Matty ripped a beautiful ramp against the skyline.









(Images: slicer double-51975, silloette skiers w lines-51974, matty_mt curry-51973)

The snow out here also lends a hand with the avalanche danger. Pow on storm-day can be sketchy, but in general snow settles and bonds more effectively and deep instabilities are rarely a serious concern. This is much different than the Selkirks and the Rockies where I came from, so I was still shaking in my ski boots at the prospect of navigating such big terrain safely.











(Images: ,random whis peak-51970,matty touring shot-51971, skins off 4 at top-51969, pink trees-51968)

We toured up for another lap, and were greeted with an incredible sunset. The golden light turned to pink, and we savoured the last moments of our spectacular day. The January sunlight would soon be gone, and there would undoubtedly be a heinous toil through the darkened forest ahead of us. But a high-speed pitch-black mountain-bike-trail race turned out to be more hilarious than uncomfortable, and the exhausting slushy jump-turns in the trees above were well worth the sacrifice.







(Images: disease scenic-51967, Crosland pink finish-51966,)

Sometimes life’s pretty stinkin’ good. And then, just when you think it couldn’t get better, it barfs another 80cms in three days. Oh my goodness gravity. And what’s the forecast for tonight you might ask?…40 more. I’m going to bed.

Dot, dot, dot......mmmmmmm...MMM!!









(Images: deep sang2-51964, slice powday air-51963, deep sang3-51965 , matty touring backlit-51962, gnar sunset-51961)


Story and Photos by Dave Mossop
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