Today, Whistler opened. I’m a little peeved at them for opening a day earlier, but that’s okay. I still love you, Whistler. I’ll still be there for you tomorrow for the opening of Blackcomb and some more chairs and terrains. Sure, it’s only a 55cm base and I’m going to scrape up my already scraped up snowboard. But at last, the long wait is over.

There’s something deeply satisfying about digging out my snowboard jacket, pants, gloves, helmet, goggles, and underlayers from the closet… wiggling my toes around in my stiff snowboard boots… and unzipping my board in its bag to make sure it is as fabulous as I remember.. and then laying it all out on the floor by the door so I don’t forget it tomorrow morning. Make sure my camera batteries are charged. Check. Make sure the lenses are clean. Check. Make sure I’ve got my 2-for-1 Whistler Blackcomb tickets from the Warren Miller movie printed, check!

I thought a good way to start off this season would be to recap where I’ve been, in terms of snowboarding/skiing resorts. It’s not as big as some people’s lists, but I’ve really enjoyed every mountain I’ve gone to… each one is so different.

MOUNTAINS I’VE BEEN TO OVER THE PAST 2 YEARS

1. Whistler Blackcomb

2. Cypress Mountain, Vancouver

3. Seymour Mountain, Vancouver

4. Mount Washington, Vancouver Island

5. Apex Mountain, Penticton

6. Big White, Kelowna

7. Manning Park, near Hope

8. Mount Baker, Washington

9. Mission Ridge, Washington

10. Squaw Valley, Tahoe

11. Mammoth, California (Yup, that’s an avalanche)

12. Snowbird, Utah

13. Steamboat, Colorado

(Yes believe it or not, I used to be a skier just one and a half years ago!)

In the next two years I hope to visit…

- Alaska
- Jackson Hole, Wyoming
- Alberta
- More interior BC for catboarding
- Somewhere on the other hemisphere (New Zealand, Argentina etc)

One can only dream!

Where have you been, and where do you dream of going?