Avalanche Observations

Swiss north face, Youngs pk., Balu pass 13 minutes ago Observation High North faces still holding faceted pow down to 2500m. Fast slufffing in those areas. The boot pack to Swiss pk on the south side was getting thin and pretty icy in places. Most steep south facing terrain appeared to be melting quickly and with widespread Loose wet cycle starting before noon. 2 photos

Cathedral mountain 5 hours ago Observation Ascended the alternate approach via trees on slopes to climbers right of the standard south facing access gulley. Frozen snowpack made for a few tricky spots without ski crampons BTL. Looks like some parties are using boot crampons to ascend the standard south facing gulley.

Spring variability on Big Kahuna 17 hours ago Observation Air temperatures were cooler today than the past few days, and broken clouds reduced the intensity of solar effect on the snow. Evidence of the recent warm temperatures was widespread, with numerous recent natural loose wet avalanches on steep solar aspects. 5 photos

Niblock White Col 17 hours ago Observation Excellent skiing. Good freeze overnight to valley bottom. We skied the lookers right area, the skin track kisses a sagging snow bridge and our ski tracks cross a few sagging snow bridges so be careful if you head over there. 2 photos

Cirque Peak North Couloir 17 hours ago Observation Completed the north couloir then traversed East around Cirque Peak. Overnight cool temps made for easy travel up to base of South ridge of Cirque. 2 photos

Mount Patterson 19 hours ago Observation Went up Mount Patterson today. Strong overnight freeze made for crusty travel (ski crampons mandatory) that was very slow to soften. 0 boot pen at 2300m at 1300. Many recent wet avalanches to size 2.0 observed, likely from the critical warming on Friday/Saturday (?). 1 photos

Back to great conditions 19 hours ago Observation Skied a bowl in the Perry Creek drainage today. The snow has healed amazingly well from being cooked into mush last week. After the heat wave there was 36 hours of hard freeze, down to -6C. We found a really solid 30 cm welded crust with settled snow below it, and 2-5 cm of April powder on top. 2 photos

Highmark Season 19 hours ago Observation Knowing your orientation to the sun is everything on days like today. While south and west faces quickly grew unstable in the afternoon sun, northerly faces were great for highmarking! 5 photos

Good spring conditions 21 hours ago Observation We took advantage of a good freeze and beautiful spring day to ski Cathedral today. Solid melt freeze crusts exist at lower elevations and on solar aspects making for fast skinning and good cramponing up the south aspect gully this morning. 2 photos

Observations from Rogers Pass Apr. 16-18, 2021 1 day ago Observation The Association of Canadian Mountain Guides Training and Assessment Program conducted a portion of the Apprentice Ski Guide Exam in Glacier National Park this past week. 1 photos

Gypsum Ridge - Black Bear sighted 1 day ago Observation Monday April 19th. Around 11am. While riding down our second run down from the main ridge to the miners trail, I maybe a toe side turn and saw a dark figure moving near a tree well. I locked eyes with the animal as I rode by and what I believed was a black bear.

Recent ski conditions in Rockies -Lake Louise area and 93N 2 days ago Observation April 12-18, an ACMG TAP Apprentice Ski Guide Exam skied a variety of objectives including; Ferris Glacier/Crowfoot Ridge col, Observation Sub Peak, Dolomite NE col, Popes Peak, Cirque Peak, Mt Field, Olive Peak and the Upper Victoria Glacier Weather and Avalanche Conditions The week started with hi…

Cheops North 2 days ago Observation Quick lap on Cheops to see how North facing terrain is holding up to the warm temps. There was a moderate refreeze overnight. The crust was breaking down as early as 0900 on solar aspects. 1 photos

Garibaldi Summit 2 days ago Observation Cornice dropped on the pyramid shaped peak on the boundary of the Provincial Park. Ran maybe 100m, some bigger debris but mostly small. Avalanche not where pin shows. 2 photos

Large Bow Summit Avy 2 days ago Observation Slide happened sometime Saturday. Very large wet slab avalanche, looks to have gone full path and crashed into Peyto Lake. Estimated 20-30m wide and 2-3m deep where summer trail crosses the slide path above the lake. Ground vegetation exposed another 5-10m both sides of the debris. 4 photos

Too crusty 2 days ago Observation We headed out to the Elkford area today hoping it would snow enough through the day to find some good riding. As we started out this morning, it was just starting to snow. After the warmth the last few days, temperatures were much cooler today, and the snow was starting to refreeze. 2 photos

The Waiting Game 2 days ago Observation We were pleasantly surprised to find the snowpack cooler than we had expected today in the Anzac. The top 15cm had frozen overnight on shadier slopes above 1250m and a cool north wind kept the suns heat at bay. The upper 80cm of the snowpack is moist and spring skiing is in full swing. 3 photos

☀️T-Shirts & Sunscreen 2 days ago Observation The sun was cooking things at Groundhog today! The high temperatures, strong sun and a weak overnight freeze quickly softened the snowpack. It didn’t take long before loose wet avalanches and huge rollerballs were easy to start on solar aspects. 4 photos

Hidden Valley, so hot right now. 3 days ago Observation Its really hot out there. Even with and early start the signs of a warm snowpack were everywhere. We made very conservative terrain choices based on that and tagged on a hike to the summit of Mt Kostiuk to make up for the lack of rideable terrain. 2 photos

Farnham 3 days ago Observation 2 warm days at Farnham but still good dry snow on north slopes. Unfortunately each day the crust was creeping higher and by midday Saturday only above 2200 m was still good. Everything else crusted overnight and gradually melted during the day. 3 photos

Frosty Peak 3 days ago Observation Very hard crust all the way up to ~1500m where it got a bit softer breakable. At treeline ~2000m it was very icy and required ski crampons. Found lots of corn all the way down until back to the incredibly hard stuff at 1500m which made for some truly terrible survival skiing. 7 photos

Morning sun packs a punch! 3 days ago Observation It was another warm, sunny day in the Crowsnest Pass area today! We started at the Atlas Staging Area, and were able to sled right from there with only a few small dirt patches starting to melt out. In the early afternoon, the temperature was +8 at 2200 m. 3 photos

North summit Strachan 4 days ago Observation Spontaneous release of a 1.5 wet loose avalanche was observed on the southern slope of the summit of North Strachan. Any thoughts of entering Christmas gully were quickly banished.

Callaghan 4 days ago Observation Toured up to 2000m today. Everything except north facing slopes were spicy. Natural point release avalanches littered the alpine. The two south facing slopes we crossed (quite quickly) produced point release and some small size 1s. 1 photos

Mt. Joffre 4 days ago Observation As with everywhere else, it is hot, and highly advisable to avoid travel, especially around Fossil Falls, after noon. Crossing Upper Kananaskis lake is safe and great for now, but the thin snow was melting and leaving pools of water in places on the ice. 6 photos

Oscar in the Sun 4 days ago Observation We did an optimist attempt to ski the glacier on Oscar Peak. We found summer instead. We realized quickly in the morning that the snow did not freeze overnight. At around noon the snow surface at 1000m was already extremely moist.

Hot tamales on Forum Ridge 4 days ago Observation Sunburns were bad but skiing was good on an east-facing treed slope. Snow surface was wet and heavy, but there was no evidence of avalanche activity. 1 photos

Sunscreen required in Crowsnest! 4 days ago Observation Avalanche observation by southrockies, seen near South Rockies, reported on Fri 16th Apr, 2021 12:00PM

Earlier the better 4 days ago Observation Avalanche observation by conniehenderson3, seen near Lizard Range and Flathead, reported on Fri 16th Apr, 2021 12:00PM

Mt Nestor 5 days ago Observation Amazing spring conditions this morning on Mt Nestor! Followed the scramblers route up/down. There was a very solid freeze in the slide path; the crust was over 10cm thick in most places above 2000m. Winds were calm, very light gusts occasionally. Clear skies. 5 photos

Hot tharbage 5 days ago Observation Toured up Thar, left early but still found all aspects other than N were hot sludge by 9am. Despite the clear nights the broader warming pattern meant the pack clearly didn't get much of a freeze. Would expect this to only get worse as the high pressure remains.

Hot tharbage 5 days ago Observation Toured up Thar left early but still found all aspects other than N were hot sludge by 9am. Despite the clear nights the broader warming pattern meant that the pack clearly didn’t get much of a freeze. Would expect this to only get worse as the high pressure remains.

Avalanche Control on Mt Bosworth, Mt Stephen, Mt Field and Mt Dennis - Saturday, April 17, 2021 5 days ago Observation AVALANCHE CONTROL is planned for Mount Bosworth, Mount Stephen, Mount Field and Mount Dennis in Yoho NP, Saturday, April 17, 2021: No climbing, skiing or other activities in these areas tomorrow. 1 photos

South Dore River 5 days ago Observation Observed a widespread loose wet avalanche cycle up to size 3 over the last few days, as forecasted. Evidence of previous cornice falls entraining moist surface snow. Everything facing the sun was going, with east aspects starting to run before noon and west aspects running into the early evening. 3 photos

Blue Canyon slush fest. 5 days ago Observation Warm temps in the forecast region today! 9c by 11am. With overnight temps staying warm, we didn’t get much recovery / re-freeze so sleds were sinking on well packed access trails by 9am! We pulled the pin and left the field as travel conditions deteriorated. 2 photos

Plan B 5 days ago Observation A lack of confidence in the South Klondike highway led to cancelled ski touring plans, so I went for a look around the Wheaton instead. Several avalanches observed on the way down the Annie Lake road, but once in the 'wheaton proper' no avalanche activity observed. 1 photos

Wheaton avalanche tour 5 days ago Observation The Wheaton hasn't been through a widespread natural cycle, but at its thinnest extent (W side of Grey ridge, and Northeast end of the valley) there is significant avalanche activity from steep and rocky start zones.

Hector 5 days ago Observation Observed from distance on approach to Andromache- dimensions are estimated. Buried numerous old tracks. See photos. 2 photos

Schmooey Steep Creek 5 days ago Observation “It’s good to be out,” “I’ve had worse,” these were some of the things we said to each other this afternoon. After two days of finding great riding at upper elevations it was much warmer today. Last night’s re-freeze was quite weak. 3 photos

Mount Breakenridge 5 days ago Observation Whumpfing observed at 1550m at 2:30 pm on an E facing slope. 2 photos

Whymper North Bowl 5 days ago Observation Did a CT on a slope right below the bench, got non planar fracture at CT15 then RP at CT25. Below that was extremely consolidated, hardpack snow that could not be broken even jumping on it multiple times. 2 photos

Frisby Ridge 5 days ago Observation As we rode up we noticed just a light refreeze overnight, which quickly broke down to wet snow. Lots of evidence of loose wet activity in each steep valley. We started our day early and made sure we were out of avalanche terrain well before peak afternoon warming. 2 photos

Warm and SUNNY in Coal Creek 5 days ago Observation In Coal Creek today we were pretty pleased with the access. We were able to stage at the Matheson turn-off and had good snow coverage most of the way with short sections of dirt. We started out around 10:00 and the surface was still firm from a good overnight refreeze. 2 photos

Fat Dog Trail 5 days ago Observation Test Pit at 2020m: CTH 27 (RP) down 25 on 2mm rounded grains on top of MFcrust (1cm thick) At 1900m, HS ranging from 150 on windward south aspect to 320 on lee side north aspects. 1 photos

Crowfoot 5 days ago Observation Observed 3 size 1 and 2 size 2 loose wet avalanches within 15 minutes just after 10:00am. All started from rock bands on east aspects that had been in the sun for a few hours. As we skied down we observed about 10 more, including another size 2, over the next hour.

Mt Smuts 6 days ago Observation Awesome morning on Mt Smuts yesterday (April 14th). Summited around 8:30. Waited for the sun to soften the snow and dropped in at 9:45. Weather was clear, calm winds at the bottom but light winds on top. Ski quality was poor up top; breakable 3cm suncrust. 5 photos

Sunblock Required 6 days ago Observation Started up Beaver Creek at noon to let the trail soften a bit. Shaded temperature was hitting 10°C in the afternoon. Spring conditions have come in like a lion. (pic 1.) Lots of loose wet slides along the backside of the range releasing from heating rocks. (pic 2. 2 photos

Bell Couloir 6 days ago Observation Dug a pit in some shallow snow on a N aspect, 165cm. We probed 275cm elsewhere. Unreactive to CT & ECT, however, a shovel shear from behind propagated the entire 90cm column 130cm down on large grain facets. 4 photos

Can you say cornice fall... 6 days ago Observation Avalanche observation by ridinpow, seen near Purcells, reported on Wed 14th Apr, 2021 12:30PM 2 photos

Rutherford Far & Wide 6 days ago Observation Not a cloud in the sky as we explored the Rutherford far and wide. We recorded a high temperature of +4 C at 1800 m, but the strong solar and warm temps had surprisingly little effect on the snowpack, even steep south faces only produced isolated small avalanches to size 1. 4 photos