As soon as my car steered away from the coast and with the elevation rising, so were the piles of snow. The sheer amount of snow was mesmerizing for early December. Although I knew it was going to be an epic dump, I felt something of a foreshadowing coming. The tall, stately fir trees stood proud shouldering heavy loads of snow on top of their bristles. Christmas music seemed to resonate with each turn of the radio dial. A joyous time was sure to come.

Twas the night before Peak Chair, and all through the town. Not a skier was stirring. Not even a louse. The powder was bombed by the Patrol with much care- only to awaken the next morning with much more to share while Whistler Village was decked out in a festive Holiday flair. The skiers nestled all snug in their beds- would have dreams of sugarplum powder pillows and face shots above their heads.

As promised, Whistler patrol opened Peak Express by 10 a.m. and we were off and running- lap after lap of placing track next to track. Once we finished with Whistler Bowl with touches along Surprise, we made the trek toward the VD Chutes. Dream-like fir trees covered in snow with pillow after pillow of powder booters. Coverage remained outstanding for early December. Continuous laps involving Big Red and Peak Express were in motion for hours to come. I couldn’t shake the excitement each time I approached the rock garden. Soft, cushioning snow and with sequences of five or even seven kickers lined up in a row. A later exploration onto Garbanzo Express revealed more untracked powder and ghost-filled chairs. Something just speaks to me when you have the opportunity to rip pow lines all day with minimal line ups. Especially at The Big W-B. A long afternoon of Kokanees certainly lurked ahead at the Garibaldi Lift Company.

Sunday morning, Tom and I met up with local photographer Magali Roy. Blackcomb opened with yet another fresh coat of snow. Dropping into the Café Chutes beneath the Rendezvous restaurant, we discovered the beginning of the day’s first bounty. I followed close behind Magali and her friend Pam- as they raced in and out of tree pockets toward Jersey Cream Express. These “Betty’s” were high on life. I could tell from the smiles and stoke talk while riding up the Wizard; it was going to be another stellar day.

Heading straight for The Bite, we entertained ourselves in knee deep powder amidst the rocky outcroppings. This was my first time riding the W-B early season. I kept waiting for rocks to rear their ugly heads, but there were none. Amazed, I leaned over toward Pam to ask about conditions in the gut. “Not a single core shot yesterday. It’s good everywhere!” With that assurance, I dropped into the center and raced through powder pillows and snow banks. Our runs began to add speed and soon I felt like I was riding the Bullet Train Express with these ladies. Growing tired (yawn) of the wide open powder, our fearless female powder warriors steered the group into the mystical trees just shy of 7th Heaven. The first nine turns were…well…DEEP. The trail opened up below a catwalk into one of the perfectly gladed sections of Raptor’s Ride. Perfectly spaced powder bumps greeted us with wide grins. It seemed that everyone was fond of this sheltered area with yesterday’s low visibility. We returned to JC where the goods were plentiful and bumps hard to find.

Numerous laps later among the trees in the Jersey Cream Zone, Glacier Express made a surprise opening. The staff had been preparing the Crystal chair when they got the call from Patrol that “G” was a go. We had pretty much given up hope the high alpine would open today. 60km. + winds were scouring the upper faces. Our first ride up was a cold one. Wind howled and nipped at our boards, almost as if to try and rip them from our bindings. Keeping a watchful eye on Spanky’s Ladder, we dropped in Heavenly Basin for a quickie. The snow in the High Alpine had certainly accumulated and drifted more so than the lower mountain. Charging through snow drifts and virgin tree shots, our faces began to develop that contagious permagrin. Miraculously, with only a handful of riders angling for position, we were able to hit up Spanky’s Ladder for multiple laps. One of the sites for the upcoming Canadian Free skiing Championships in January, both Ruby and Diamond bowl seemed to be peaking at the right time. A bounty of untracked powder, turn for turn, awaited us each run until our legs could go no more. Another perfect start to yet another exciting season. Like little kids sneaking around the house looking for signs of Christmas presents, we snuck a peak underneath the wrappings of what’s shaping up to be an incredible season across North America.

I woke up an hour before my alarm clock was set to go off. The only time this happens is when I’m going skiing and know it will be a sick powder day. It had snowed 28 inches in the last 36 hours and today I was going helicopter skiing for the first time in my life with Whistler Heli-Skiing. Not only was the powder going to be deep but I wouldn’t have to fight 6000 other maniacs for the goods. It was shaping up to be an epic day of skiing but had the storm passed so the helicopters could fly?

It was still snowing heavily outside my window at the Fairmont Chateau Whistler when I peered out. Noticeably absent were the gusty winds that kept the helicopters grounded yesterday. Not sure if we would be able to fly, I optimistically dressed in my ski clothes, grabbed a bite of breakfast and waited for the “Go” or “No Go” phone call. At 7:45 my phone rang, “Please head down to the Crystal Lodge at 8:15 so you can meet your guide Dale…” I was out the door and in the elevator before they had a chance to finish.

I met the nine members of my group at the staging area and our guide Dale ran through the basics of backcountry skiing and helicopter safety. It was a brief but thorough introduction and Dale’s professionalism and knowledge were obvious. Before I knew it the safety talks were over. We piled into a Bell 212 helicopter and took off in the direction of untracked powder.

In five minutes we climbed 2000 feet and set down near the top of the tree line. Any higher and the falling snow would make it difficult for the pilot to land and for us to see during the ski down. When the helicopter flew away it was just our group in the middle of a vast untracked wilderness. No day lodge, chairlift, or powder hungry hordes in sight, just acres of untracked powder snow.

We partnered up and followed Dale down a gently sloping ridge for 20 turns before stopping above a steeper slope. Dale made a ski cut to test the slopes stability and then ripped off effortless turns until he stopped 200 feet below us. We skied the slope one at a time and it quickly became apparent that our group consisted of a wide range of abilities. Some of us jumped off of a small cornice, made two turns and straight lined the rest. Some of the guys fell in the deep snow and looked for skis. But we all had the same wide smile on our faces.

During the two runs we made before lunch the snow was epic but it felt like we were stopping to regroup as much as skiing. Unfortunately this was necessary in the trees where visibility was restricted. If we had gone further before regrouping it would have been easy for someone to pick up the wrong drainage and become hopelessly lost. My vision of heli-skiing always involves arching huge turns down a wide-open powder field. The reality is that the weather and snow conditions dictate where you can make your turns.

On our third and final run the weather cleared a little and we were able to ski slightly more open slopes. Near the bottom of the run we broke out of the trees into a large clearing. Every turn resulted in a face shot and I caught frequent small airs off of fluffy snow pillows. The run was over far too quickly. The turns I made during this run are some of the best I’ve had in twenty plus years of skiing.

We made three runs through the trees and skied around 7500 vertical feet. On a normal day at the resort I would expect to ski around 20,000 vertical feet. But that would involve plenty of cut up snow, moguls, and possibly ice. Today all I skied was powder. At the end of the day I felt kind of like the first time I borrowed my parents car and took a girl out to the movies. It was a new and exciting experience and when it was over I was left wanting more.

– Guest Author, Bryan Rhodes 

I awoke early on Tuesday morning, still a little tired after the 24-hour drive from Park City to Whistler, but eager to start the skiing part of this road trip. It had snowed all night and was still dumping when I boarded Blackcomb’s Wizard Express chair with journalist Rob Reed and snowboard model/television producer Lisa Podosin. Rob writes for Elite Traveler Magazine and is responsible for luring me to Whistler. With the help of Tourism Whistler, he promised a week of epic snow conditions, great food and jumping nightlife. What more could a desk jockey turned loose for three weeks ask for?

From the top of the Wizard Express it takes two lifts and a T-Bar to reach the summit of Blackcomb at 7,494 feet. On a clear day the high alpine areas provide wide open skiing and impressive views of the Garibaldi Provincial Park. Today the upper mountain was closed due to winds blowing over 100 kilometers per hour so we played in the trees where the snow was deep and sheltered. The trees off of the Excelerator Express Chair are perfectly spaced and moderately pitched so intermediate skiers will feel comfortable ducking off of the groomed runs. The Solar Coaster and Jersey Cream Express Chairs have steeper terrain that will challenge experts. We lapped these trees for three hours and never skied the same line twice.

Although we hadn’t exhausted all of the skiing possibilities at Blackcomb we decided to ski Whistler for the afternoon. It’s a four thousand vertical foot run from the top of Solar Coaster to the Whistler Village Gondola. The lower mountain can get a little crowded at the end of the day but at noon the Gear Jammer run was wide open and we made huge Giant Slalom turns until our legs burned.

The Whistler Village Gondola rises 3769 feet to the Roundhouse Lodge. On snowy days like these it provides a warm and comfortable ride protected from the wind and snow. The Olympic Station mid point makes it easy to do laps on the gondola and we skied powder in the trees and then jumped into the protected gondola for the ride up. While I am not a fair weather skier, I can certainly appreciate the chance to clear goggles and dry off a bit without having to take a real break.

While the weather wasn’t perfect, the first day of skiing on this road trip was excellent. I jumped into the hot tub at the end of the day feeling tired and satisfied. While I do work in the ski industry, I felt a million miles from the daily grind. Tomorrow I’ll feel even farther away as I am heading out for a day of powder with Whistler Helicopter Skiing. This will be my first time heli-skiing and I can’t wait to board the chopper.
To book a trip to Whistler, contact Tourism Whistler at 1-800-Whistler or online at www.tourismwhistler.com. They are experts in Whistler accommodations, transportation and activities. You can count on them to plan the trip of a lifetime.

The Fairmont Chateau Whistler is located at the base of Blackcomb. It’s a wonderfully short distance from the slopes to the hot tub and your legs will thank you for staying here. For more information visit the Fairmont Chateau Whistler Homepage.

Go To: February 6 – Heli-Skiing

– Guest Crontributor, Bryan Rhodes 

The world is coming to Park City next week in search of Olympic medals and memories to last a lifetime. I wish the athletes much luck but am afraid all the tourists will find are mile long traffic jams and weak Utah beer. For many visitors watching an Olympic event is the dream of a lifetime but my skiing dreams don’t include icy racecourses. They revolve around untracked powder, helicopters, uncrowded runs and the only ice is in my glass at the end of a bluebird day.

So when the world arrives in Park City they won’t find me here. My car’s loaded up, the condo’s rented out, and I’m off of work for 24 days. The Weather Channel says the West Coast is getting dumped on so I’m heading in that direction, searching for ski areas big and small where the snow is deep and cool people share my skiing dreams. If you want to find me during February, keep checking here on Feed The Habit. I’ll be posting regular updates on my travels. If you live on the West Coast and want to show me around your favorite ski area, send an email to bryan@feedthehabit.com. I’m planning to visit Whistler, Crystal Mountain, Stevens Pass, Mission Ridge, Mt. Baker, Mt. Ashland, Anthony Lakes, Mt. Shasta and wherever else the snow is deep.

Next Stop… Whistler

1,170 miles, 24 hours, and 14 cans of Red Bull after leaving Park City I peeled myself from the driver’s seat and stepped into the lobby of the Chateau Whistler.

After visiting the finest truck stops of Utah, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington during the drive up here, the luxury of this slope side hotel was going to take some getting used to. I felt confident that I was up to the challenge.

Much more difficult was trying to contain my excitement. I have three weeks off of work and a 9th floor room at the finest hotel in Whistler with a view that looks out on over 7000 acres of the world’s best skiing terrain. Could life get any better? I guess so, because it just started to snow.

Go To: February 5 – Skiing at Whistler…

– Bryan Rhodes

Whistler-Blackcomb is consistently rated the best ski resort in North America–we went to the Great White North to see why. Oh yeah, the Canadian National Freeskiing Championships happened to take place the same weekend.

We left our cozy beds in Seattle around 4 am to make it to Whistler in time to ski a full day. We blazed north through the early Saturday morning mist and fog. We kept telling ourselves, “Only two kinds of people wake up this early… fisherman and skiers.” We just so happen to be skiers in the truest sense of the word.

Growing up in the Northwest was a blessing from above. The rain never stops, so that means the snow doesn’t stop either. A core shot doesn’t exist in the Cascades, but they’re a dime a dozen in the fluffy pow pow of the Wasatch. Northwest skiing is a combination of heavy, wet snow, super-steep pitches, above-treeline bowls and hard-core skiers. This is home!

We pull into Whistler, then quickly check in at the pub to find out about the Superfly Slopestlye to be held the next day. They tell us the hits are somewhere in the Nintendo 64 Terrain Park, probably right next to Super Mario and his pal Luigi. But, if they told us where the tables were, they’d have to kill us. We figured they’d be pretty easy to find and opted to live to see another day.

I put myself in charge of filming the Slopestlye and let my lifelong bro, Brigham Graff do his trickery in the air. Brig sessioned while I bombed the fresh pow lying all over the place. All these jibbers overlooked the killer pow right next to the tables. After a few runs, I decided I needed to see the rest of what makes Blackcomb such a killer mountain. I left the jibbers for a little above-treeline ripping on the upper mountain.

With all the new snow, everywhere I went was a winner. From the top of 7th Heaven lift, I began my crusade to find out what makes this mountain so great. It didn’t take me long to realize that this mountain was HUGE, steep and challenging. I think it’s kind of like a Costco-sized Jackson Hole. I found plenty of wind-lips, rocks and steeps to keep me humble.

I caught up with Brig and we made our way over to what was once called Saudan Couloir, but is now called Coulior Extreme. You know, because we are “Extreme” skiers. At the cornice, I look ten feet to my right, to notice freeskiing goddess, Wendy Fisher, eyeing the competition taking place on skier’s left of us. “Hey, Wendy,” I ask–as if she should know me, “Is this section open to the public?”

“Yeah, this side is open to the public,” said Fisher. Then she busted downhill like a banshee.

We made our way down and watched Andrew Sheppard pull the sickest line off a 50+ footer, landing into a broom closet, then bombing huge turns. He then kept on going and pulled a huge mute grab off a rocky knoll.

“Oh, my gosh… THAT WAS SICK!,” we kept repeating.

Brig and I ripped it up the rest of the afternoon, taking a quick carrot cake break at the Horstman Hut before skiing the Saudan once more.

Blackcomb beats Jackson, Snowbird, Crystal and every other mountain I’d skied before.

I thought to myself, “That was Shane McConkey!” I was so stoked to be a part of the whole comp and document it for FeedTheHabit. I made my way down to the first table where Brigham and a couple of other competitors were talking. As I skidded in next to them, I said, “You guys aren’t going to believe who I just saw!” “I just saw Shane McConkey coming towards the park.”
As I skidded in next to them, I said, “You guys aren’t going to believe who I just saw!” “I saw Shane McConkey coming towards the park.”

The funny thing was right in the middle of saying, “I just saw Shane McConkey,” the man himself stopped right in the middle of our group and said, “Really? Where’s Shane?” We all busted up laughing and were introduced to the man. I look back on that and just laugh. I must have sounded like a total gaper, but Shane didn’t care… he’s just stoked to see everyone having a great time with our sport.

Shane is arguably the most versatile skier of our day. And after seeing Scott Gaffney’s latest piece of work, I don’t think ANYONE can deny that. Shane has really spearheaded the entire freeskiing movement and allowed us all to shed the lame image of skiing in the 80′s. Neon everything, stretch-pants and skinny skis.

Not that Shane, single-handedly, has changed the whole face of skiing. He was just in the right place at the right time and had the ideas that would change the sport.

Freeskiing comps are going off all over the world. Kids are hucking sick tricks in their local terrain parks and pipes. The backcountry is becoming “the land of the natural kickers.” People are taking this sport to the next level and it’s so much fun to be a part of it.

That’s the story behind “There’s Something About McConkey.” It tells us that Shane is just busy living the dream and doing things that others told him were just plain stupid.

We’ve decided to promote ski films that bring stoke to skiing. We here at FeedTheHabit, love skiing. We dream about skiing. Most of all we get a kick from spreading the love around and seeing the smiles on everyone’s faces when they leave the show.

Shane has become a ledgend. We have that same opportunity, maybe not at the same level, but in our own way. Embrace your passions. Live your dreams. Work hard to achieve your dreams and you will always be happy.