It snowed! Now what?

With the first few dustings come the first photos and facebook brags of the first turns of the season. The same keeners nab the first turns season after season and you're left scratching your head wondering just where the hell are these guys skiing. There are always local favorites for early season, ski destroying missions and many of them are hardly a secret anymore. Here are my top 3 not so secret, early early season locations.

 3.Bow Summit. Icefields Parkway Hwy 93N

Bow summit is located just passed Bow lake along the icefields parkway heading north towards Jasper. It might just be the most commonly skied backcountry locations in Canada and for good reason. With a starting elevation of 2000m, close proximity to glaciers and a healthy annual snowfall Bow summit is a good bet early or late season. Just a short skin from the parking lot and you are lapping a couple hundred vertical meters of glades and mellow gullies. It is important to note that Parks Canada does not allow skiing in this area when there is less than a 50cm base. This keeps skiers off of the delicate alpine eco system so do try and respect the rule.

Late season Bow Summit

 2.Mcrea Peak, Revelstoke

Another true early season classic is Mcrea Peak. 36Km of logging roads bring you to the recreation trail parking lot at 1750m so yes, Mcrea is a little more work to get to in comparison to Bow Summit but offers a pocket glacier for those really early season powder turns. Later into the fall you can count of great coverage above 2000m and some really fun lines to be had in the alpine, the meadows below and tree skiing as early as October. With the snow in the Selkirks generally having more of a coastal feel compared to Rockies it makes for a much more ski friendly experience. You can read more about Mcrea here.

http://backcountryskiingcanada.....nd-the-gap

 1.Highwood Pass, Kananaskis Country

Highwood pass tops the list for several reasons, access, elevation ( 2206m ) and terrain. Highwood pass is the highest elevation highway in Canada so that alone should raise a the eyebrow of a powder starved skier but also has some of the best early season terrain around. With the ever popular Rae glacier offering up consistently great skiing conditions as early as September it's been a long time favorite of many locals. However Highwood has so much more to offer than just a small chunk of ice. Just off the highway is some great meadow skipping terrain and tree skiing. Around the corner some really great chutes and col's to be explored and skied. The Rockies cold and dry snow means you WILL be leaving pieces of your skis up at Highwood, so if you think your skis have feelings it's best to take the old pair or alternatively they make p-tex for that.  

The north face of Mt Sandy V 

Early Seaon Meadow Skipping, Highwood pass.