One day last spring, I got a message from one of my IG followers asking if I’d like to try an “anti-fog” face mask that his company makes. Being a huge fan of using face masks and knowing they all […]
Plum Oazo with Brake/Stopper
The Oazo binding from Plum has been my go-to backcountry binding over the last few years, and recently Plum released an updated version. The design was refined rather than overhauled, and I’m grateful they didn’t change too much. This review […]
Scott Superguide 88
In March 2022, I found myself in the backroom at SkiUphill looking at next year’s Scott Superguides 88. I only knew a little about them or the company, and they had me wondering if I’d ever skied on Scotts. Joel […]
Popular MIN Pin Coordinates
The MIN from Avalanche Canada is a vital resource, and sometimes it can be tricky to know where to locate your pin drop when posting a report. I’ve decided to throw up some of the most common long/lat coordinates for […]
Scarpa F1 LT
Everyone has that one backcountry boot that strikes a near-perfect balance between weight, stiffness, downhill performance and walk mode; that boot, for me, is quickly becoming the Scarpa F1 LT. Luckily the boot fits right out of the box, which […]
Early Season Skiing
The weather in the Canadian Rockies in late summer and early fall can bring anything, including a very early ski season if you know where to look. This year I’ve already seen a few people get some turns in after […]
Save Money Buying Gear
After a long summer of not posting or skiing, I’m back and writing up an article that goes against the insurmountable wave of advice that gear guides are about to offer. You know what I’m talking about, all that shiny […]
Wolverine Creek
The following article is taken from the guidebook The Bow Valley: Banff to Castle Junction. Follow the link for a high res download or to purchase a book. Wolverine Creek: Banff National Park Most people will know this area by […]
WNDR Intention 110
Last season I was sent a couple of pairs of WNDR skis from Pep Fujas to check out. I previously did a review for the Vital 100, and I figured with all the powder we’ve been getting this season, it […]
Your Guide To The Guidebooks
I recently realized that those new to my guidebooks may feel a bit lost when it comes to which one(s) might be best to buy. This article will break down what the different books have to offer, what areas they […]
Marcus Baranow, the man behind Confessions of a Ski Bum
Marcus Baranow, the man behind Confessions of a Ski Bum – 51 North (51degreesnorthmagazine.ca) By Katharine Erwin One of the definitions of confession is “to disclose one’s sins in the sacrament of reconciliation.” When it comes to the self-professed agnostic […]
The Bow Valley : Banff to Castle Junction
The Bow Valley: Banff to Castle JunctionReleased Oct 5 2021Professionally printed 8.5″ by 5.5″ 352 page softcover book Order printed book here: https://gettothemountainspublishing.com/products/confessions-of-a-ski-bum-the-bow-valley-banff-to-castle-junction Download free PDF here: https://gettothemountainspublishing.com/products/the-bow-valley-banff-to-castle-junction-digital-download-donation Covers: Roadside Runs (Cascade East and South Faces, Cory Couloir, Goat’s Eye, […]
Big Stick Energy – E2
Big Stick Energy – E2 – Marcus Baranow – Out of Bounds Podcast (outofpodcast.com) This week we sat down with local legend Marcus Baranow—AKA Confessions of a Ski Bum—to chat about his new backcountry guidebook for the Bow Valley region […]
Plum Guide 12
This season I got a few heavier skis and decided it was an excellent opportunity to test out the Guide 12 model from Plum. I received one Guide 12 free from Plum and purchased two others at a discount. The […]
WNDR Vital 100
The first time I heard about WNDR skis was in early 2020 while going for a quick lap with Brandon Gulstene. His top sheet stood out, and I questioned what brand it was, “Wonder, they’re from Salt Lake City, and […]
Zag uBac 95
After joining the Canadian Zag team for the 20/21 season, I requested a pair of uBac 95 skis as I was looking for something lightweight and could “do it all” in the backcountry. I currently have about 40 days on […]
The Most “Followed” Skier in the Rockies
The Most “Followed” Skier in the Rockies — SkiUphill | RunUphill Marcus Baranow lives a quiet life in the hamlet of Lake Louise. His summers are spent maintaining campgrounds and his winters are simple: eat, sleep, ski. His nightlife consists […]
Three Places You Can Skin Uphill In BNP
The backcountry skiing world is growing fast, and with fast growth comes a more mixed demographic. Lately I’ve been asked the question “where can I go skinning for fitness and not have to worry about avalanches?” a lot. While your […]
Castle Mountain Traverse/North Bowl
For whatever reason I haven’t been posting trip reports this year, maybe because I feel like what I was skiing wasn’t worth noting or maybe I’m just lazy, either way neither seem to be the case after this last trip. […]
DREAM PLANNER – THE ICEFIELDS PARKWAY
The Icefields Parkway Confessions of a Ski Bum (skicanadamag.com) With 6,641 sq km of mountains to explore in Banff National Park, where does an adventurous skier start? Nowadays, most backcountry skiers start with Marcus Baranow’s Confessions of a Ski Bum guides. Baranow has […]
Plum Summit 12
Last season Plum sent me a Summit 12 binding to try, and although it’s not a binding type I would typically steer towards, it proved to be an excellent choice for my resort/backcountry crossover setup. The Summit 12 is Plum’s […]
Plum R150
In the past, I have steered clear of anything called a “race binding”. I felt this category was meant to be as light as possible while being used less than a normal backcountry binding. The Plum R150 has changed my […]
Mammut Alugator Light Avalanche Shovel
A few years ago, I was looking to lighten my pack weight, and after skimming most other areas, I was left with safety gear. I already had a bad experience with the BCA Shaxe regarding finding lightweight options in the safety category, […]
Consolation Col
Brandon and I’s original plan this week was to ski Bell Couloir starting from Moraine Lake, heading over Consolation Col, climbing the south aspect of Bell and then looping back down through Taylor Pass. We headed out from Moraine Lake […]
Wapta Summer Skiing
It’s officially summer but it sure doesn’t feel like it. Most days around Lake Louise have highs of 15C and there is still snow at treeline in many places and deep snow in the alpine. Leading up to our weekend […]
Canoskimo
A week prior Brandon messaged me looking to get some turns and I had just the adventure to fit the bill. I had been watching the snow levels above Bow Lake for a couple of weeks and I wanted to […]
Get Into Backcountry Skiing PT 1 : Why?
The other day it dawned on me that I have answered the question “how do I get into backcountry skiing” more than any other but had yet to write about the topic. Over the next few posts I’ll go into […]
Get Into Backcountry Skiing PT 2 : Gear
In part 2 of this series I’m going to go into detail about buying gear for backcountry skiing. If you haven’t already read part 1 of this series check it out to make sure you want to drop a bunch […]
Get Into Backcountry Skiing PT 3 : Education
In this section I’ll be talking about gaining experience through education. If you haven’t read parts 1 and 2 of this series please check them out. Geared Up And Ready To Go If you have taken my advice so far […]
Get Into Backcountry Skiing PT 4 : Culture
In part 4 I’m going to dive into the dirty world of ski bum culture so you can prepare to deal with kooks, jaded locals and “know it all newbies”. If you haven’t read parts 1-3 you should check them […]
Helena Ridge
Everyone had been hitting up the Icefields but Nick and I kept getting bad weather windows on our days off so this week we decided to check out the Castle Mountain area. I often go to this zone when the […]
K2 Wayback 88
It dawned on me today after buying a new K2 Wayback 80 for summer use that I have never reviewed my 88s. I’ve owned two pairs of Wayback 88s, and for several years it was the setup I used the […]
PHD Xero Half Bag
A few years ago I was trying to figure out how to drop weight from my overnight kit. I started by weighing all my items and it was obvious that the sleeping bag was the first area I needed to […]
Pika vs Oazo
This afternoon I opened my IG inbox to find a simple question: “Pika or Oazo?” I had meant to write up a comparison review before the global pandemic started but I had forgot about it amidst the chaos of preparing […]
Eisenhower Couloir
On March 13 2020 Nick and I went back to Rockbound Lake in hopes of skiing the full Eisenhower Couloir. There is a chockstone in this run but you can’t ski under it so we brought a small rock rack […]
Two Ways To Talus
In the evening on December 11th I noticed a press release from Talus Lodge about their new Climate Action plan, the move to self propelled access for a lodge that traditionally only did fly in access seemed like a bold move. […]
Rockbound Lake Couloirs
It’s been several months since I did a trip report and I was surprised I never made one for this day as it was sweet. On Feb 28 2020 Nick, Brandon, Nathan and I went up to Rockbound Lake to […]
Plum Pika Binding
After using the Plum Oazo Binding last season and being very happy with the product, I agreed to sign on with Plum to represent them in Canada. The first binding I received was their Pika model and I have been […]
Natalko (Talc) Peak FWA
Earlier this month Nick and I attempted to get up Natalko (Talc) Peak but were turned away for a few reasons during our 3 day trip to Egypt Lake. After looking at more pictures and satellite imagery we decided to […]
The Needle
For about 10 years I’ve been looking at the east aspect of Natalko (Talc) Peak and wondering what goes and what doesn’t. A few times I have attempted to ski some of the lines by booting up them but always […]
Plum Family Rockies Week
Last year I was able to test the Plum Oazo binding thanks to SkiUphill and I loved them and in the summer I contacted Plum to see if they would be interested in working together to promote their product in […]
Fischer Hannibal 106 Ski
Full disclosure, these skis were sent to me for free by Fischer via SkiUphill. This review of the ski was not something Fischer or SkiUphill requested before or after sending me the ski and I am writing it in order […]
The Mind Shaft
I believe the first time I saw this run was 11 years ago (2009) on a trip to Egypt Lake, (or maybe in Lost Horse Creek, where you can actually see the whole run). The line was huge with massive […]
Mind Shaft – Chugach Mountain Institute
Mind Shaft | Chugach Mountain Institute (anchorageavalanchecenter.org) By Mat Brunton I spent a week in the Canadian Rockies (based out of Lake Louise) while driving back to Alaska after a three month 2019-20 snow season road trip during which I […]
December Pow
Today as I looked at my website I realized that I forgot to post anything in December, maybe it was all the fresh pow clogging my brain that made me forget to post? In early December the Rockies got hit […]
Terrain Trap Weekend
I usually avoid skiing the terrain trap gully/drainage features found on Observation Peak but with the sun out, inversion strong, danger rating low and having skied close by several times this month, we decided to have a go at them. […]
Cobra Couloir
I love skiing Cobra Couloir and when Kevin Hjertass told me they skied it in powder conditions I knew it was on the short list for the day. Cobra Couloir is found on the north aspect of Temple in Paradise […]
Bell Couloir
For the last week I had heard of lots of steep skiing going down in the Bow Range and finally decided to get on something myself. After a short group chat Nick, Taylor, Scotty and I decided to head up […]
93N…
Last few days I’ve been skiing and doing some AST style skills days on the 93N. Sunday I tagged along on an actual AST 1 course with MTN Guiding. Monday skied some laps and did a quick snow profile on […]
My Multi-day Trip Gear
Last season I had many requests for a multi-day gear list but the task has been hanging out at the bottom of my never ending to-do list. But here it is, a complete breakdown of the gear I actually use […]
SkiTrab Mohair/Nylon Mix Skin
Like most people I know, I usually treat buying skins as an afterthought of a new ski setup. Usually I find something on sale and go with it because I just spent all my money on the skis and bindings, […]