This has to be my favourite place in and around Vancouver! I would drag myself here on some of the most terrible hangovers imaginable and in some of the worst states possible such is my love for Cypress Mountain. I first fell in love with this mountain very early on in the ski season one Saturday afternoon in December. I can remember everything about the day! I had been for brunch and watched to United v Everton match in the morning before heading to the mountain a little later on. The weather was so sunny and sky so blue. The snow looked like marshmallow and I was astounded by the views of the city, sea and surrounding islands. Every since that day, I was desperate to capture that memory on camera.

So I began lugging my camera around with me but unfortunately I didn't quite capture the same conditions again. There was some white-outs and lots and lots of snow this Winter.

I did capture the more moody side of Cypress Mountain though! I write this having only just edited the photographs about 4 months after the event and the photographs turned out much better than I ever thought. I ended the day exhausted (having carried by lenses around with me all day and having stashed my tripod behind a drinks machine) and distinctly remember being stranded like a beached whale on one of the moguls at my lowest point. I almost forgot the incredible snow and the views when there was a break in the clouds for about 15 minutes.

For any visiting Vancouver over the Winter/Spring with a passion for ski-ing, Cypress is an absolute must! Forget Whistler, Cypress is the one for me! It's altogether more intimate, only 30 minutes drive from the city, has a really good set up and bar (The Raven) and ultimately, where else in the world can you ski and see the sea? Cypress is a quality ski area in its own right - it earned the right as one of the Winter Olympics 2010 venues!

And so I leave you with a medley of images from the sunset at Cypress Mountain!