Fabian and I broke away from the pack, all of whom wanted to ski an area of Blackcomb Mountain known as Crystal Ridge. We wanted powder, and figured the best place to find that was higher, into the grey storm shrouding the Glacier Express as it ascended above the tree line. Snow had been falling sporadically, heavily at times, but for the moment it had abated. There even seemed to be some potentials for breaks in the dense morning cloud cloaking the entire mountain.

So up we went.