This winter, British Columbia has been blessed with an abundance of cold weather, plentiful snow and blue skies. Of course, not everyone sees this as a “blessing”, but they’re probably not reading this blog. Since La Niña doesn’t come around all that much, we’ve taken to making the most of it… meaning that we got after the pow in a big way.

New zones, new friends and lots of powder is the best way to ring in the new year, and after a mildly (or excruciatingly) hungover day skiing the lifts at Apex Resort we decided to go in search of the mountain behind the namesake – Apex proper.

It turns out there’s nothing quite like desert pow.

Sunlight blasting the trees… Doesn’t look like a desert.

Up and away!

Down and towards.

This doesn’t look like the edge of a desert…. Are you sure this is wine country?

Caroline, testing maximum she-shred.

My beard goes to the right, even when it’s not frozen.

Carving the wind-sift below ridgeline, and apparently there’s avalanches in the Okanogan but no forecasting. Stay safe out there friends!

The author, getting some time in front of the lens.

Backlit pow-blasting turns. Nothing quite like wind-sifted desert pow.

Schralping zee poooder.

Full circle rainbows.

Like a desert sandstorm, but fluffy.

Dangly helmet in some awesome afternoon light.

Chasing the right level of wind loading.

Long shadows in the afternoon.

Last turns back to the bistro. Maybe there’s something to this whole “desert pow” thing?

East meets west with some Ontario sass in the mountains of BC… Totally nailing the Backcountry Babe look.