For their pre-festival issue, Whistler’s weekly Pique put a photo that my brother Les and friend Jonny Law took together during last year’s Deep Winter Photo Challenge on the cover.  This image has been used in a few editorial spots over the past year.

My 2008/09 winter began in Antarctica, what is actually it’s spring. I was accompanied by Chris Davenport, a steep skiing living day legend and all-round nice guy, and a host of other unbelievably talented ski mountaineers; humbling. The trip didn’t pan out like it should have due to a major mechanical issue with the boat that was to take us there, but Anatarctica is a place I know I will return to someday, it has left a mark on me. The amount of mammalian life that flourishes in such a hostile environment is mind blowing, and it all depends on one species – Krill! Mind boggling too is the glaciation, as you can imagine.

I arrived back in Vancouver/Whistler late November, but winter had not done the same. Fortunately the snow began to fall just in time for the Deep Winter Photo Challenge at Whistler Blackcomb. This year I was joined by my good friends Chad Sayers and Dave Short. We worked hard and were awarded first place again this year.

Chad and I and our friend Tobin then headed to Europe to go find winter and experience a special place called La Grave. We did some of the best skiing of  of our lives there. Followed by that was a trip to the Montarosa massif in Italy. It was unforgettably deep.

La Grave – Street Skiing from Jordan Manley on Vimeo.

I did two weeks of Catskiing with Dave Treadway in the Kootenays when I returned to Canada. Somewhere in the middle we fit in the Cold Smoke Cold Shot Face Off which is a photo contest format. We shot for 4 days touring around the Kootenays and had a blast with our friend Pete Velisek. The judges awarded us first place overall, although, after seeing the shows that Kari Medig and Steve Ogle had to offer the judges had their work cut out for them.

At the beginning of March Chad Sayers, Dan Kostrzewski and I headed up to Smithers and Terrace for Powder magazine assignment. It was an exploration of the ski terrain and ski culture both towns have to offer, and an interesting look into the difficulties that northern communities endure in order to sustain even a simple ski operation.

And then winter returned to Whistler. Finally. I spent 8 days almost fully away from the camera, skiing at the resort and up on the Hurley Pass at Backcountry Snowcats. Check out a video from our weekend there.