Life on the Ridge: A Northwest Ski Road Trip

Ridge Athlete Danila Shipilov and his partner Amber Henshaw spent a few weeks this winter on an epic Pacific Northwest road trip. Danila shared this Ridge Report with us. He's pictured above wearing a Ridge Run Merino Hat and Convict Canyon Hoodie.

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Photos and words by Danila Shipilov

Our goal for this trip was simple: follow the forecast around the Northwest, ski and ride as much as possible, and do it all on a budget. The plan was intentionally vague, allowing for easy pivots along the way. We used Ikon Pass resorts as waypoints, taking advantage of free access as season pass holders.

The North Cascades: Steep Terrain and Cold Nights

With a lack of snow on the horizon where we live in Mammoth Lakes, it was time to hit the road. The northwest had been getting snow so we headed north up to Glacier, Washington. After nearly 18 hours of driving and a couple days on the road, we arrived at the Hannegan Pass Trailhead. The next morning, we met up with our friend Stratton to explore the steep, densely forested backcountry of the North Cascades.

The conditions delivered: soft, cold snow and clear skies. A high snow line gave us access to trailheads that are usually snowed in during winter. Though the approach was still a bit of a grind at lower elevations, the upper elevations held soft powder, making the long drive worth it.

North Cascades backcountry terrain

Unfortunately, our diesel heater quit on us just three days in—our main source of warmth and gear-drying. Morale was still high, so we rode another day around Glacier then decided to head farther north to ride in some new places.

We didn’t know it at the time, but this would be one of the colder weeks of the year in British Columbia. Paired with the lower sun angle it would put our fortitude to the test. 

Revelstoke: Big Vert and Sidecountry

Good views at Revelstoke

After a couple days in Glacier, we crossed into Canada and made our way to Revelstoke, home to the longest vertical relief of any ski resort in North America.

We had been tracking the BC forecast all winter and were surprised by the overall lack of snow. The lower mountain was barely rideable save a sole groomer, but the top was relatively filled in. The resort was firm and bumped out, but even without fresh powder, the side hits and sidecountry terrain kept us entertained.

We ventured into some classic sidecountry zones and found untracked snow even days after the last storm. There is an impressive amount of spicy lines with hike-to access above the resort as well as mellow sidecountry splitboarding.

After skiing, we hit up La Baguette bakery for some well-earned pastries and spent the evening researching permits for our next destination: Rogers Pass.

Rogers Pass: Backcountry Paradise

Backcountry ski terrain in Canada's Selkirk Mountains

Rogers Pass quickly became the heart of our trip. This legendary backcountry shred mecca in British Columbia’s Selkirk Mountains is iconic for a reason. Other than the slew of classic ski and snowboard videos it's be featured in, it's only 40 minutes from Revelstoke and there was much more snow on the pass, partially due to the increased starting elevation.

There was a four-day weather window, so we took the opportunity to explore while visibility was good. We started each day at the Discovery Centre, checking avalanche conditions, securing daily permits and warming up. Navigating the complex permit system and learning the terrain took some effort, but it was worth it. Avalanche Canada does a ton of work to keep the pass accessible and safe, but first time visitors definitely need to do their homework.

The Convict Canyon Hoodie is the perfect mid layer for backcountry adventures.

Over several days, we explored classic zones like Grizzly Peak, Eagle Peak, Corbin Peak and Mount MacDonald. We lucked out with "Goldilocks" weather: cold temps that preserved the powder and sunny skies that opened up the alpine. The terrain was some of the best we’ve ridden, even drawing comparisons to Alaska’s Thompson Pass.

Amber booting up in the Selkirk Mountains in a Convict Canyon Hoodie

Camping remained challenging without the diesel-heater. Sub-freezing temps made mornings rough, but the upside was that the powder stayed light and fresh throughout.

We spent several nights at the Revelstoke Rest Area, a convenient spot for truckers and camper rigs with restrooms. There’s no car camping on the pass, so we would commute back and forth from Revelstoke.

Eventually we caved and got a few hotel nights to dry our gear, thaw frozen food and water and take a break from the relentless cold. Our water jug became a block of ice and our yogurt and veggies froze solid as the temps never breached 24 degrees all week, with lows subzero at night.

Banff: Sunshine Village & Lake Louise

From Rogers Pass, we continued east to Banff, hitting Sunshine Village and Lake Louise while the weather was unsettled and visibility was poor.

The Banff area was really hurting for snow. Only a couple feet of packed snow around the resort was all they had to show for the season. Sunshine Village was rather firm, and the lack of snow made for an underwhelming experience, but with more snow there’s a lot of potential here — it’s a pretty big resort covering a wide range of terrain and ability levels.

Amber gears up at the home base wearing her Convict Canyon Hoodie.

Lake Louise impressed us with stunning scenery, expansive groomers, a variety of sidecountry terrain and a fun park that made it the highlight of our time in Banff. While still hurting for snow, it was pretty fun to explore. It’s easy to see how fun that place would be on a powder day.

The stormy weather shifted south after this, and we decided to start making our way back home. A last minute text from our friend Greg shifted our sights back to the Mt. Baker area where a cold, moisture-rich storm was building up to hit hard.

Mt. Baker: With Utah Powder?

On our way back south, we stopped at Mt. Baker in Washington for a final few days of riding. While not an Ikon Pass resort, the midweek day tickets were only $93 — far cheaper than the $200+ at many other places. We lucked out with cold snow, deep coverage and friends who knew the mountain well.

Despite the relatively small footprint, Mt. Baker offers a ton of terrain to explore. The sidecountry access, endless hits, cliffs and creative lines rivaled bigger resorts and made it clear why this spot is on so many riders’ bucket lists.

This trip took us through some of the best ski terrain in North America—from the legendary backcountry of Rogers Pass to the iconic resorts of Banff, Revelstoke and Mt. Baker. Cold temps, long drives and a few rough nights were gritty road trip realities, but so were deep snow, endless lines and the kind of adventure that makes it all worth it.

If you’re looking to expand your Ikon Pass horizons and are up for chasing storms, living simply and putting your ski legs to the test, this one’s for you.

Ski Road Trip Must-Have: Merino Wool Layers

Big thanks to Ridge Merino for keeping us warm, comfortable and dry on this trip with high quality wool layers. You couldn’t catch us without our Ridge socks, base layers and balaclavas on the trip — we basically lived in our wool layers from skiing to lounging to sleeping. They’ve got some of the best wool out there. Thanks, Ridge!