Kicking Horse/Golden, B.C. Conditions Report: Cold, Crisp, Beautiful Day Kicking Horse was crazy fun yesterday. We stuck to the gondola and Stairway to Heaven chair, and got a couple runs of CPR Ridge and in Feuz Bowl. Lots of soft snow still in the run-outs and trees. Chutes were chalky. The lower half of the mountain was mostly packed out either groomed or moguled but sufficient coverage, and great […] Conditions Report Matt Bansak | December 24, 2017 0 Comments
Chalk and Windbuff at Mammoth, February 4th Conditions Report Yesterday was fun at Mammoth. After a great week in Tahoe, Lauren Bibby and I decided it would be a nice change of scenery to head down to Mammoth. They have been doing quite nicely as well, with over 3 feet of snow in the last week. The conditions did not disappoint. While there wasn’t much untracked powder left, we lucked […] Matt Bansak | February 5, 2016 0 Comments
Snowbird Conditions Report: January 12, 2016 Snowbird was fun today. Fortunately it has stayed cold since the last storm, and although the vast majority of the mountain has seen a lot of skier traffic since then, the snow has remained soft. We found some nice windblown areas, and with a little scouting, we were even able to find some pockets of untracked. Somewhat expected, getting into some of […] Conditions Report Matt Bansak | January 13, 2016 0 Comments
Mt. Baker Conditions Report: November 20th For only being their second day open, today was really fun at Mt. Baker. Thanks to a couple weeks of near-continuous snowfall, there is a great base that sets the mountain up well for more snow, and nearly all of their terrain is currently open, with the exception of their extremely steep terrain. Matt Bansak | November 20, 2015 0 Comments
TODAY: Tahoe Powder Day! The Stoke is in Full Effect | Photo Tour: Today was the first real powder day in Tahoe. Not only was it a powder day, but it was one of the better ones in recent memory. Mount Rose was favored by the last wave of precip and got a nice dumping of blower pow on top of several inches from a storm last week that left some semblance of a base. Stoke levels were high, face shots were plentiful (along with maybe a couple core shots), and high fives were irresistible. Matt Bansak | November 10, 2015 0 Comments
Tahoe Scenes: Recent Photography from around the lake Let’s face it, Tahoe is pretty awesome. This post contains images from the last few months in and around Lake Tahoe. I’m a photographer, web developer, designer, and ski coach, fortunate enough to call Lake Tahoe and the mountains my home. It’s a beautiful and humbling place, and there are always opportunities to explore and adventure. Like a lot of my friends […] Matt Bansak | October 11, 2015 0 Comments
Tahoe Scenes: Recent photography from around the lake This post contains images from the last few months in and around Lake Tahoe. It was tricky to find good snow this season, but easy to find good times. Tahoe is a beautiful and humbling place, and there are always opportunities to explore and adventure. Matt Bansak | June 2, 2015 0 Comments
Tahoe Scenes, January & February 2014: Photography From Around the Lake The past couple of months around Tahoe have been pretty difficult for Tahoe local and visiting snow enthusiasts, but the area is as beautiful as ever, and I hope these photos reflect some of the awesome aspects of the last couple months. Enjoy! Matt Bansak | February 26, 2015 5 Comments
Have you been wanting to go heli-skiing? Join us in Alaska! Heli-skiing needs no introduction. We’re heading up in March/April, and if you’ve been waiting for the nudge to book your trip, here it is. A discounted all-inclusive week of heli-skiing in the Alaskan Chugach Mountains with Points North Heli-Adventures, including your own personal photographer. Matt Bansak | January 30, 2015 1 Comment
Tahoe Scenes, November & December 2014: Photography From Around the Lake These photos are all from November and December 2014 around Lake Tahoe, closing out the end of the year and highlighting some of the awesome days we’ve had recently. From great backcountry conditions to epic surf days on the lake, these have been an exciting couple of months. Matt Bansak | December 28, 2014 2 Comments
Tahoe Scenes, October 2014: Photography From Around the Lake These photos are all from October around Tahoe, hopefully capturing some of the beautiful days we’ve had this month. Prints of these photos are available for purchase at mattbansak.com with various mounting and framing options. Use coupon code SB15 to get 15% off your entire order until October 15th […] Matt Bansak | November 3, 2014 1 Comment
Tahoe Scenes, September 2014: Photography From Around the Lake These photos are all from September around Tahoe. Prints of these photos and a many more are available for purchase at mattbansak.com with various mounting and framing options. Use coupon code SNOWBRAINS15 to get 15% off your entire order until Sunday the 28th! […] Matt Bansak | September 24, 2014 1 Comment
Waterskiing Behind a Hobie Cat on Lake Tahoe: Photos and Video The first thing you’ll notice when you get on a catamaran is “dang, this thing is fast.” The next logical progression is to tow a skier! Waterskiing behind a Hobie Cat has been a long-standing objective of mine ever since I learned how to sail 20 years ago. I’ve tried to accomplish this several times in the past with no success, but each time highlighted what works and what doesn’t. Yesterday, with the help of some good friends, […] Matt Bansak | September 18, 2014 1 Comment
Tahoe Scenes, August 2014: Photography From Around the Lake These photos are all from August around Tahoe. While not quite as stormy as July, there were still some days of really amazing clouds. Prints of these photos and a many more are available for purchase at mattbansak.com with various mounting and framing options. To kick off my new website, you can use coupon code SNOWBRAINS to get 20% off your entire order, until August 30th! […] Matt Bansak | August 25, 2014 3 Comments
Full-On Patch Skiing in Lake Tahoe | August 2nd Photo Tour: This post is for everyone who is wondering if there’s still snow in Tahoe, and the answer is yes. Before we started the hike, we placed bets on how many people would ask us “you’re not actually skiing are you?” The final tally was 25. Katy Hover-Smoot and I headed to Round Top today in hopes of finding some decent patch skiing. It’s my go-to summer ski destination for its easy approach and awesome scenery, but the patches are certainly looking […] Conditions Report Matt Bansak | August 2, 2014 15 Comments
Tahoe Scenes : Recent Photography From Around The Lake (July) This July will be remembered as the time that moisture happened in Tahoe… at least as far as the last few summers are concerned. The recent storms are a welcomed shift from the months of dry weather for many obvious reasons, but they also have the fun side effects of some really neat lightning shows and great sunsets. These photos are all from […] Matt Bansak | July 21, 2014 2 Comments
July 4th (decent!) Skiing in Tahoe – “The Patch” If you’re around Tahoe, want to ski, and can’t get to one of the three resorts in North America that are still open, patch skiing is a good option. However, some spots are certainly better than others. Andy Hays, Katy Hover-Smoot and I drove down today for some 4th of July turns on “The Patch”, a classic spot just a short jaunt outside of Tahoe near Red Lake and Kirkwood. Easy access, but don’t attempt getting up the dirt road without a raised […] Conditions Report Matt Bansak | July 4, 2014 2 Comments
Tahoe Conditions Report: 4th of July Chutes on June 28th I was debating between soul skiing and sharing this adventure with the world, but ultimately I figured I could still ski soulfully and reflect without weakening the experience. The idea was born at 6:30PM to go ski the 4th of July Chutes that evening. At 7:30PM, the idea was realized. After a grueling 7-mile approach by way of Subaru, Nicolette Howell and I had reached the road summit, and began the second part of the journey on foot. […] Conditions Report Matt Bansak | June 29, 2014 2 Comments
Tahoe Scenes : Recent Photography From Around The Lake These photos are all from the last few weeks around Lake Tahoe. I’m a photographer, web developer, designer, ski coach, and enjoyer of life. I’m fortunate enough to call Lake Tahoe and the mountains my home. It’s a beautiful and humbling place, and there are always opportunities to explore and adventure […] Matt Bansak | June 22, 2014 6 Comments
Tahoe Surf Session – June 10th | Photo Tour: I had been eyeing Thursday in the forecast all week. Not for surfing, but for sailing. However, due to my inability to find someone crazy enough to want to sail a Hobie Tiger in 40-60mph gusts, I instead got in touch with Scott Gaffney to see if he was thinking of heading out for a surf session. Game time. I don’t surf at all, but think it’s one of the coolest […] Surf Matt Bansak | June 13, 2014 1 Comment
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