The Northwest Avalanche Center (NWAC) spring fund drive starts today. As more and more skiers flood the backcountry, NWAC’s avalanche and weather forecasts are more crucial now than ever. This …

Mattias Evangelista skiing in the Mount Baker backcountry. Grant Gunderson photo. Rob Kunch rails a turn on Galbraith Mountain. Brad Andrew photo. Lea Hartl skies a chute in Norway's Lofoten Islands …

Story and photos by Andy Basabe It’s a Friday evening and I’m checking the contents of my backpack, wondering what the mountains will demand of me. It is spring, with snow shifting daily from …

By Luca Williams Snowboarding through powder snow has to be one of the world’s most fun activities. There is nothing like getting a shot of snow in the mouth while laughing as you bank another …

By Ian Ferguson Photos by Freya Fennwood At the Dutchman Flat Sno-Park in Oregon last April, Maria Debari, Kaitlyn Farrington and Freya Fenwood struck up a conversation with a lone skier who had just …

By Andy Basabe I met Alex Turner when we were in high school, standing in a garage at a party held by Western Washington University’s Ski and Snowboard Club. Face-to-face, we looked at each other, …

Hut-to-hut touring in the Bonnington Range By Ian Ferguson Photos by Oliver Lazenby When you work a full time job, big ski trips are a gamble. You have to get the time off in advance, and you’re …

Above: The aptly named Illumination Rock lights up the morning as a climber works his way towards the Reid Headwall on Mount Hood. Jason Griffith photo. Below: Backcountry skiers hike through a lush …

From carving slopes to carving wood. Mark Landvik creates a sculpture at N-Grained Inc. in Bellingham. Story and photos by Brad Andrew From the outside, the unassuming white stucco-clad building on …

Exploring BC’s Brian Waddington Hut By Andy Basabe I couldn’t afford to go to Japan, but I had to go somewhere. By Christmas 2014, I had spent enough time touring around Twin Lakes Road and …

By Ian Ferguson Photos by Mike and Andy Traslin I n most parts of the world, skiing or snowboarding year-round requires planning, commitment and long-distance travel. Here in Cascadia, an abundance …

Image courtesy WSDOT Mountain News: March 2015 Mother Nature sent Mt. Baker Ski Area operators and passholders on an emotional roller coaster this week, dumping just enough snow to get everyone's …

30 legendary years The Mt. Baker Legendary Banked Slalom By Ian Ferguson Photos by Ryan Duclos The history of the Legendary Banked Slalom mirrors the history of snowboarding. The annual snowboard …

LBS 101 By Patrick Kennedy “You’re a snowboarder from Washington and you’ve never been to Baker? So you’ve never been to LBS?” “What is LBS?” I asked. “Dude, are you kidding? The …

Traversing the Spearhead Story and photos by Jason Griffith “It wasn’t supposed to rain today,” I muttered to myself as I got out of the car in Whistler Village and followed Gord and Scott into …

Uphill Battle An indoor enthusiast ventures into the dreaded outdoors on snowshoes Story and photos by Steve Guntli 7:30 a.m.: My wife Nicole attempts to wake me up. At 7:30 a.m. On a Sunday. In …

Mountain Masters A day in the life of the Baker Pro Patrol By Ian Ferguson | Photo by Grant Gunderson When I wake up early on a powder day, the only thing that gets me out of bed before sunrise is …

Grant Gunderson photo Japan: the cure for powder panic* By Ian Ferguson *Powder Panic (pou-der pan-ik): A feeling of anxiety among skiers and snowboarders brought on by the knowledge that their …

Remembering Liz Daley By Jason D. Martin American Alpine Institute (AAI) guide and professional snowboarder Elizabeth “Liz” Daley was tragically killed in an avalanche in Patagonia in late …

A snowbridge too far A close call on the Watson Traverse By John Minier I carefully eased my skis over the roll and onto the face. “Easy does it,” I said to myself. “This is no place to blow …