Pacific Northwest Ski blog (and a few other places!)

Panorama has a reputation for being a firm, icy ski hill. This was certainly not the case when we visited in late February. The snowpack was deep and extensive, the groomers perfection, and as long as you were careful on the steeps to avoid any exposed rocks and trees, all terrain was skiable.

And there were bumps everywhere. Mostly well-formed mogul fields that were relatively easy to pick a line through. If it wasn’t groomed, it was bumpy, and fine bumps there were too.

With no lift lines and cold, sunny, clear weather, we spent the day ripping around the mountain, linking different top-to-bottom runs of over 4000 vertical feet. My highlight was a descent of B2 in Taynton Bowl. A previous hike to Taynton Bowl a few years back was in early season, and a lower snowpack meant far fewer options. This day the potential was enormous, with tracked but powdery snow, and of course, bumps. Taynton Bowl is exceptional terrain when the conditions are like this.

Our legs gave up not long after 3pm, and with 9100 vertical metres on the watch, beer was rather prominent on my mind. I have an urge to spend a few days at Panorama, staying on hill and luxuriating after a hard day skiing in the tempting hot pools that overlook the lower trails. If the snow holds, this might be the year to satisfy the urge.

Season totals: 38 days, 15 powder days, 291,100 verts.