‘Confessions Of A Ski Bum’ started sometime around 2009 when close friends asked me to write out directions to the backcountry areas around Sunshine Village. Soon their friends wanted the same info and I started to type up organized documents and climb nearby peaks to get route pictures. Before I knew it I found myself binding homemade books to sell to stores and the public.

Years later I have now written 4 books covering modern backcountry skiing in and around Banff National Park. My first two books cover the backcountry areas found near Sunshine Village and Egypt Lake Shelter – the first edition was printed DIY style and the second edition as a free downloadable PDF. My last two books “The Icefields Parkway, Lake Louise to Bow Summit” and “Kicking Horse Pass : Day Tripping” were professionally printed and can now be found for sale internationally.

I had always thought of this type of sharing to be a ‘confession’ of sorts, the ski culture I grew up in often looked down on sharing “hidden” zones. I believe that sharing route and condition information creates a safer and more fun backcountry skiing community.

I hope you find the information on this site and in my guidebooks useful.

Have fun and stay safe out there!

-Marcus Baranow

Photo by Chris Moneypenny


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