Our Story

Backcountry Solutions originally became a concept when we decided to collaborate more on providing the ultimate backcountry lodge based ski guiding and culinary experience.  We are skiers foremost, and then comes a serious food passion.  Like the skiing, the food needs to be of the highest quality we can provide in a backcountry lodge.  
 
Over the past 35 years or so of ski guiding, knowledge has been gained as to where the most ideal terrain is, along with where the consistent interior mountain snowpacks are.  And in those many years of travel, we’ve found where the sweetest remote backcountry lodges are.  All these components form the equation that allows us to choose which lodges we wish to visit time and time again.  
 
Julie is now ski guiding, and is also managing our food program along with a couple of select chefs to ensure the same style of culinary mountain experience is achieved.
 
Hanging out in remote backcountry lodges, hidden in a high alpine valley somewhere in the interior of British Columbia for most of the winter months is a highly addictive lifestyle for many reasons. Being removed and isolated from the rat race, experiencing the forever changing conditions in the mountains, and sharing some of the most amazing moments a group of friends can have skiing powder come to mind.

Our Team

Rich Marshall

Rich grew up in a mountaineering family in Golden BC, where he still lives and plays in the mountains both summer and winter with his wife Julie.

The guiding passion is still as ever strong after 35 years,  As is the personal drive for adventure.
 
In 1991 he became a Mountain Guide, certified through Association of Canadian Mountain Guides and is a member of the IFMGA.
 
After many years of guiding full time through both summer and winter seasons, Rich now mainly focuses on ski guiding in the mountains of Western Canada and a few exotic ski destinations around the world.
 
Rich also dedicates time every season to the training and examination program of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides, mentoring and coaching upcoming aspiring guides.
 
It’s life long friendships with the like minded mountain folks we ski and work with that make this all so worthwhile.

Julie Marshall

Julie grew up in Calgary, Alberta and moved to BC  to pursue her passion for playing in the Mountains.  She now lives in Golden BC where she chases endless adventures with her husband Rich.
 
Cooking is what brought Julie to the backcountry skiing community.  She attended the Northwest Culinary Academy in Vancouver, taking her culinary skills to another level. With these new skills Julie created scrumptious meals that fueled backcountry ski touring groups, along with squeezing in plenty of powder turns.
 
In 2021 Julie switched things up and became an ACMG Ski Guide. Winter seasons are now spent ski guiding, summer’s are for catering yoga/hiking retreats in and around Golden and continuing the chase of adventures.

Let's go skiing!