After a down day, relaxing around Nelson, soaking with aging hippies at Ainsworth Hot Springs, and hanging at Kokanee Creek Park, it was time to get back to work at Whitewater. Rain had come down the previous night so that meant snow in the higher elevations. We were also recharged with the late addition of Burton rider Mark Sollors to the crew. We drove to Castlegar to scoop up Mark and then it was back up to Whitewater to make things happen.

The team at Whitewater were cool enough to once again set us up with tickets and a special VIP card to gorge on the gourmet lodge food at Fresh Tracks Cafe. From smoked salmon paninis to rich curries and the heartiest salads you'll ever have, you won't want to leave hte lunch table. You can even pick up a couple of cookbooks compiled by the cafe's chef.

But we had business to attend to. Light was a lot better this time around with good visibility and the sun making appearances over the course of the day. After making some quick work of the in-bounds zone we were hitting the day prior, including Dave and Mark sending it through this V-shaped tree formation and over a drop, we decided to heed the advice of the locals who earn their turns hiking Whitewater's famous backcountry terrain. Whitewater's two lifts offer super easy access to slackcountry and backcountry terrain to some estimated 2,500 acres. This includes massive alpine bowls, downright scary cliffs and chute lines and, of course, the deep snow the place is known for in the first place.

Off the Summit Chair, we plugged along the ridge and up into Prospector Bowl. The sun was now showing its face in full and Dave and Mark each found a couple of their own lil somethin'-somethins to keep them busy for a while. The one side of the bowl had a gnarly looking face dotted with spines dropping at a ridiculously steep angle. The other had a few nice drops, diving board-style ledges, and banks to slash the shit out of.

The lifts had stopped by the time we were done shooting, and I must admit, that run down was one of the best of the trip by far. The four of us charged super fluffy snow with lots of poppers and gullies to catch air time. It was one of those moments when there's no doubt in your mind that snowboarding is the best thing in the world, when everyone is hootin' and hollerin', spraying slashes at one another and having an absolute blast. The only thing better was following it up with a round of cold, locally-brewed beers.

Check out Dalby's blog for more photos.

Sollors made the trip in from the coast to slingshot through these dead trees.

A sampling of Whitewater's legendary terrain.

You might not be able to see him, but that's Dave Short slashing deep in the afternoon sun. Fun, eh?

And Sollors, out in plain view and dropping a Back 180 into more of the same.

A look over to some of the hike-access alpine zones.

Looking down on our last run of the day. Point it!