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6 Months on Tecumseh

Published: May 17th, 2026

Fun ski in May. Skis on almost at the car because the compacted snow from the Nordic trails is still hanging in there. Then you need to walk from the end of the Nordic trails for a bit, but not too bad. A few cms of fresh snow on top of supportive but not frozen corn made for some fun creamy turns up high. Snow was clumping on skins only higher up in the alpine. 180cm still in the trees at treeline!!

Spring on Sentry

Published: May 6th, 2026

Midday corn harvest in Sentry’s North Bowl above the highway and Emerald Lake was super fun. Snow was close to ideal around 1pm on the steep north aspects and a bit over cooked lower down. 4 ticks on the approach/exit.

Totally Low Density Tecumseh

Published: Apr 26th, 2026

No signs of instability. Another 5-10 cm last night with no wind was a nice touch for some awesome April conditions. The new very low density snow is sitting on a now very well frozen crust that you could feel skiing steep terrain on most turns. But there were some pockets of deeper snow to be found. We found some wind slabs on East aspects so skied north faced lines. Sluffing was a concern on steeper narrow sections and one ran for 75-100m. The wind increased a bit throughout the day but was not moving any snow around yet. Get out there while it’s good. Skis on at the top of the first Crowsnest Nordic hill! If you have skied in this area or would like to, please consider writing a letter to West Fraser and the Alberta Forestry office. There is only a few more weeks to provide feedback to them before it is logged this summer and Fall. Please help save this special place that consistently delivers great skiing from November until May! The team at spry has more information if you need before engaging.

Taiga viewpoint

Published: Apr 24th, 2026

Sold refreeze with 4 cm on top. Strong NW winds strip the snow off north aspects and deposited on south aspects. We found 5-10 cm of unreactive wind slab on south aspects. Most avalanche paths have refrozen debris in it and better skiing can be had on lower angle terrian. Burly smooth crust in the alpine will find you wishing you brought an ice axe and boot crampons for even small objectives. The bears are out.

Sharks down low, blower up top!

Published: Apr 23rd, 2026

Very little snow fresh snow down low but 35cm up above 2100m. Snow quality is amazing! The new snow is sitting on a thin crust that was not supportive. At 2000m there is only 10cm of new snow and a second crust 10cm below the first one. both crust were reactive to hand sheer tests, with the upper one easier and more planar. We had lots for cracking (none shooting) from 2000m to 2100m and then less as we climbed to the ridge top around 2300m. The snow pack below the new snow and crusts is very moist and you can get a ski pole easily 60cm down. No wind tonight, and it looks like the fresh snow was came with some North winds.

A little bit of everything

Published: Apr 19th, 2026

A little bit of everything today: powder on high north aspects, rapid warming, pinwheeling and corn (or mush) on solar aspects, some hard crust where the sun hadn’t got to yet and some breakable crust in between. We were able to drive to 1400m and then hit the snowline.

Tecumseh East Bowl and NE Ridge

Published: Apr 18th, 2026

We got an early start to take advantage of the last morning of cold temperatures and dry snow from this cycle. Fresh snow (40cm at the bottom to 10cm at the top) was sitting on top of the crust and showed signs of improved bonding as we climbed up. From Easy hand shear results to medium breaks to no results or slab at the top so we skied the main objective. We then headed to the N.E. ridge and skied great snow in the trees facing East. Aspects with more north and west were wind hammered and touchy small wind slabs from last night on the climb up near the top that were easily avoided. Skied from the car, and had an awesome day on Tecumseh. Was back out in this zone in the PM with my kids playing in the trees and saw lots of wet snow avalanches on steep south aspects. Snow was already starting to refreeze on the surface by 5pm.

WowPassPow

Published: Apr 11th, 2026

Whew … PowTastic! 50 cm of soft, bonded to the crust … No signs of instability while moving through the terrain, couple of Size 1 - 1.5 storm-snow releases visible in the Alpine (in the storm snow, not at the old-new interface). No signs of instability other than those … Calm conditions, no previous wind affect at all below or at treeline, almost no wind affect in the alpine. Cool (-6 at Atlas at 12:00; zero at 4:30pm), overcast. Approach conditions: 10cm light snow at Atlas staging …. rock-bumpy there and for the first couple of km up the road, then good. 🙏🙏 to groomer doing an Awe.Sum job today, thank you ! Ran into the AvCan field team at the staging …. HUGE thank you to them for a fab season of information 🙏🙏‼️

Totally Awesome Tecumseh

Published: Apr 16th, 2026

Today we skied up towards the NW face of Tecumseh. Our goal was to investigate the effects of last weekend's warm spell on the snowpack, and gauge how the new snow is settling on top. We dug at 1800m on a north aspect, there was 40 cm of well settled new snow that hasn’t seen too much wind effect yet. Below the old snowpack is moist top to bottom and well settled. The new snow is insulating the moist snowpack and refreeze is happening slowly. Up to 2100 m the general structure and moisture content is consistent. Our avalanche related concerns were limited to the new snow. As the wind began to pick up at noon, we observed moderate to strong wind loading in alpine ridge-top features. In the few hours we had out there we observed several natural wind slab avalanches up to size 1.5. Some paths in very steep terrain produced multiple avalanches due to continued wind loading. Cornices were observed actively growing today and are looming overhead in specific areas. In sheltered steep trees we found very good quality ski turns and observed no signs of instability under our skis. By avoiding steep wind loaded features, and limiting overhead exposure to steep alpine features and cornices we were able to enjoy some great quality April pow! This will be the South Rockies team’s final day of field operations for the season and we are stoked to end it on a banger! Thanks to the CrowSnow Riders for keeping up with access challenges this season, and making it possible to enjoy the beauty of winter in the pass!! See you all next fall!

Spring dump

Published: Apr 16th, 2026

Over a foot of fresh snow in Window. Groomer operator probably wished he was on a sled instead.

Mearly Gone, but Holding On!

Published: Apr 15th, 2026

Today we went riding from Koko staging to have a look at the effects of recent warm temperatures on the snowpack. Access was good with 15-25 cm of new snow on the trail. This new snow is sitting on dirt in the lower reaches and rapidly fading now that snow has switched to rain. We chose to go up the Smith basin to gain elevation. Total height of snow averaged 250 cm at tree-line. There is 25 cm of new snow, and it continued snowing at 3 cm per hour through the day. Below the new snow, the snowpack is saturated with water. It behaved isothermal (it has reached its melting point) to boots and we were post holing up to our thighs off the machine. It was supportive to the sled however, and felt firm under the new snow while riding. A good freeze with incoming colder temps should turn this into a supportive crust. Winds were calm in the morning and increased to light SW in the afternoon. With snow available for transport, and trees beginning to shed around us in the breeze, we expect wind slabs to be building in the alpine and treeline on lee slopes. This will be our last visit to the Elkford region this season! Huge thanks to the Elkford Snowmobile Club for all the hard work keeping access open in a challenging season! We appreciate it heaps, and we’ll see you next season!

Mt Teepee

Published: Apr 10th, 2026

Classic spring snowpack. Hard in the morning softening up around midday. Some recent sluffs from the rocks on all aspects

Racing Horses to Window Shop

Published: Apr 8th, 2026

Today in the Crowsnest Pass, riding conditions were firm and challenging. A hard overnight refreeze left a thick crust on the surface that our sleds couldn't break through. Once we climbed to 2100 m the crust started to soften and the riding became slightly easier. Around noon, the sun had finally started to warm up and soften the snow surface enough to keep our mountain sleds cool. When we arrived, it was -2 at the Atlas staging area; by the time we left, it was +10. We observed light snow transport at the ridgetop and a light cool breeze at 2200 m. The wind likely helped keep the snow cool, which added to the time it took to soften for us after the overnight freeze. The skies were clear and sunny, and we didn't see any precipitation through the day today. We noted numerous new wet-loose avalanches on solar slopes, and 1 size 2.5 persistent slab triggered by a cornice fall in the Window Mountain bowl. The snow pack structure is crusty. There are 40 to 60 cm above the atmospheric river crust formed in late March. The snow surface is a crust, and there is two additional temperature crusts below it. This is sitting on the 40-cm-thick late-March crust. Below the late-March crust, the snow is well settled and strong.

Zero to Hero (Visibility)

Published: Apr 7th, 2026

The South Rockies team ventured to Elkford today to investigate the effects of recent warming on the snowpack. Riding from Koko staging today was decent access, only a few dirt patches and a smooth recent groom! We had convective flurries all morning putting 5 cm of new snow on top of a thin breakable surface crust. Moderate NW wind was hard at work transporting snow at ridgetops and building cornices. The clouds broke around 2pm and the suns rays were a welcome change from the mornings wind and snow. Our investigation into the persistent slab problem revealed that below 2200 m the snow above the atmospheric river crust is moist and decomposing the weak layer into melt forms. Above 2200 m there is 30-50 cm of dry snow over the atmospheric river crust, and 2 mm facets still exist between the crust and upper snowpack. We had sudden hard results in tests. While the likelihood of triggering this layer is low, it still has the potential to make large avalanches in the alpine. We will be cautious of steep slopes, shallow or thick to thin spots in the snowpack, and rocky areas in the alpine where triggering this layer is more likely. With cooler temperatures tonight, expect a strong refreeze up to 2200 m that could make for challenging travel in the TL and BTL. Thanks to the Elkford Snowmobile Club for the continued maintenance and making access possible still!!

The Beehive

Published: Apr 4th, 2026

Went to the Beehive and found a full prob of snow pack 2.8m at 2000m on the lee side of the lookout. We obviously had to did to the ground, which was maybe the highlight of the day for my son. Hard work getting through the two buried rain crusts. The snowpack is well consolidated all the way to the ground where there is moist snow.

Koko claims 2.5

Published: Apr 3rd, 2026

Dawn Patrol

Published: Apr 3rd, 2026

Back to the same area as Wednesday night. 10cm of new snow and the same weak layers found (drought crust and Saturday sun crust just above) but harder hand sheer results but not fully healed yet. Skied denser powder on open slopes and beautiful snow in the trees. No wind but noticed wind on the summit right away and there was almost constant small sluffing out of extreme terrain off the summit. No signs of instability while skinning, testing small rolls, or while skiing.

The Winning Racehorse

Published: Apr 2nd, 2026

Today we went back to the Crowsnest Pass for seconds. On Monday, we had great riding conditions...so we just wanted to double-check before the long weekend. We were not disappointed, another 15-20 cm of new snow has fallen, and the access is in great shape, the groomers were out working their magic! Step (or ride) off the trail, and you'll be greeted by 60-85 cm of soft snow above a hard crust from the previous atmospheric river. While we were in the field today, it was lightly snowing. The temperatures started to rise, but upper elevations stayed cool and dry, with great skiing and sledding. There was a light wind from the north at ridge top but we didn't see any snow blowing around, and the alpine was obscured from view, hiding behind dense clouds. We observed some small, loose, wet avalanches below treeline on cut banks and a few loose, dry avalanches in the alpine. We dug into the snow at 2200 m on a north aspect. We found 85 cm of soft snow sitting on top of a 40 cm thick melt-freeze crust from the rain 2 weeks ago. The snow above the crust is taking its time bonding to the crust and may be reactive to human triggers. If you've made it this far, thanks for checking in, and have a great long weekend!

Shark Molar

Published: Mar 31st, 2026

Temps at -12 in the am. 15cm of snow on Lussier FSR. The new snow has really helped access down low. We travelled from 1420m to 2420m. Storm snow on supportive crust until around 2250m -ish on N aspect it began to become non-suportive. Some wallowing ensued. There was notable SW wind effect as we neared ridge line. All alpine aspects have shed after previous avalanche cycle. Quite acceptable turns were found.

Deep on Tecumseh

Published: Apr 1st, 2026

Amazing snow conditions. There is 50cm above the hard crust and 40cm above a new sun crust that formed Saturday night mostly fist to 4 finger and right side up. This new suncrust was getting easy planner hand shear results on open slopes in multiple areas. We found that this improved in the trees (medium to hard breaks) so we stayed in the trees on the way down on slopes steeper then 25 degrees. Higher up the suncrust layer seemed to be less reactive but the drought layer was then the culprit. We got an isolated section to slide by jumping above it with skis on. It was snowing in the alpine and wet snow/rain at the car. They groomed today so the approach and exit were amazing! Nice to see some fast dry snow again.

Hear! Hear! Let's Ski at Mear!

Published: Mar 31st, 2026

Today we visited the Elkford area. Our questions were "How much new snow has fallen?" and "Is the skiing good?" To answer this, we went up to Mear Lake, where we found 20-30 cm of fresh snow, great sledding, and surprisingly good skiing! With the clear skies, the steep southerly slopes began to warm, but the wind and air temperature (-5) kept the snow cool enough to ski without becoming hazardous. We didn't observe any natural avalanches in motion today, but saw one recent size 1.5 avalanche out of extreme terrain above Mear Lake, likely 24 hours old. We dug into the snow at 2400 m, and found 40-50 cm of soft snow above the crust formed by the atmospheric river. The top 10 cm were starting to become moist in the sun, but the rest was dry and showed no slab properties. The crust from the atmospheric river is a whopping 40 cm thick and is bridging any potential deeper instabilities. Going forward, we'll be thinking about spring warming in this area, but right now, flat meadows and northerly slopes offer the best riding quality.

Winters back at Window Mtn.

Published: Mar 30th, 2026

We found great riding conditions at window mtn today. 20 cm of new snow and 35 cm of recent snow with NO wind effect! The only avalanche activity we observed were small dry loose avalanches pouring over cliffs from the convective flurries throughout the day. We dug a snow profile to investigate the bond of the snow to the thick crust formed by the atmospheric river. Unfortunately, it appears we have a new persistent slab problem in this area. We found a 1 finger slab over 4 finger facets on top of the crust which is down 75 cm. We got hard, propagating ECT results which indicate human triggering is possible, especially in spots where the crust is closer to the surface. We adjusted our ski objective by backing off into lower angle terrain and had a great day out.

Russell Range

Published: Mar 29th, 2026

10-15cm of overnight snow at the start of the Middle Fork of White River. Ski travel was from 1400m-2700m. The new snow was needed down low and on road access. Supportive crust below new snow. The alpine had shed on all aspects. There was some debris navigation hiding under storm snow. Strong relentless W-SW wind at ridge top. Snow transport was occurring. No signs of instability and storm snow was holding nicely to crust on descent. Challenging access currently… roads blocked by avalanche debris that we found this weekend were north end of Blackfoot FSR, east fork of White River FSR and a side FSR off Middle Fork.

Tecumseh Sweet and Sour Soup

Published: Mar 29th, 2026

Went into the upper bowl this morning with plans to look at one of the steeper north facing lines but back off due to more fresh snow than expected which had drifted into deeper pockets of stiff slabby snow. 10cm consistently and pockets of 20. This plus the snow from earlier this week is sitting on top of a bullet proof icy crust and not bonding well. We had easy planar hand sheer results 40cm down and with old big crowns and snow transporting off the ridge tops we opted to ski lower angle terrain and thinner areas. Fun skiing though and completely clam at the bottom of the bowl.

Save Tecumseh Group Ski

Published: Mar 28th, 2026

A great group of people went for a ski today in the Tecumseh area to learn more about the planned logging that is scheduled for August 2026. The logging will destroy the access trails and the lower forest. if you have or would like to ski in this area and would like to learn more reach out to, spry, West Fraser and or the Alberta forestry office for more info.

Window MINdow

Published: Mar 27th, 2026

Today in the Crowsnest pass we were pleasantly surprised by 20-30 cm of new snow on the ground! Riding from Atlas staging was in good shape and plenty of cooling for the machines! Seems like the word is out already, and the parking lot was full this afternoon when we headed home! We went up towards Window Mountain lake on the skis and were able to get up into the alpine bowl and ski some creamy low angle turns with minimal wind effect. We saw evidence of a recent natural avalanche cycle to size 1.5. And numerous dry loose from the past 24h from steep alpine features. Winds were moderate all day and variable in direction, swirling snow around creating deposits and wind effect on many aspects. Wind slab and cornice hazard was building throughout the day, and could continue to develop with snow still available for transport in the treeline and alpine. It was mostly sunny today, and solar slopes in the treeline and below treeline became moist with warming. We observed natural pinwheeling from steep rocky features in the treeline. Underneath the new snow is a supportive and slippery crust that made for some challenging conditions on steeper slopes. This crust also makes a great bed surface for avalanches to run longer distances than expected. Thanks to the Crow Snow Riders for keeping the trails in great shape! Enjoy your family ride day and be safe out there!!

Oh dear, near Mear

Published: Mar 24th, 2026

Today in Elkford we were greeted by something we haven’t seen in a while - snow falling from the sky! We weren’t sure what to expect coming out of last week’s big rain event, so we were happy to see snow right to the staging area. The trails were thin to start, but once you passed the ticket cabin, there we no concerns. At 13:00 at 2100 m it was - 1.5 degrees. The wind was calm, and it was snowing lightly. Moving through the terrain, we observed a widespread natural avalanche cycle from last week. Most of the avalanches were persistent slab avalanches with depths varying from 50 - 70 cm, all around size 2-2.5. To further investigate the persistent slab we dug our pit on a NE aspect at 2100m adjacent to piece of terrain that had slid. Temperatures have been steadily dropping since yesterday, forming a thick 10 cm piece of ice on the surface of the snowpack. We spent the day talking about the “rink” because this surface crust was so smooth and slippery it was almost as if a zamboni had been through the terrain moments before us. Heads up hockey if you are moving through higher elevation terrain off the groomed trails - the surface is slippery. The thick surface crust was extremely supportive. Because the crust was impenetrable, it was blocking any of the buried weak layers from being reactive. We're hoping this snowfall keeps up, winter is not over yet!

Wet Windows

Published: Mar 18th, 2026

This morning, we were slightly dismayed by the weather outside. After reviewing the forecasts and telemetry for our region, we decided to head out to the Crowsnest Pass, where the rain hasn't been as heavy... yet. When we arrived, we found a number of people on the same page as us, and, given the weather, hats off to their dedication! We rode out from the Atlas staging area. The snow on the trails was slushy, wet, but soft enough to keep the sleds cool on our commute. We travelled up to 2000 m in Window Mountain bowl, and stuck to the sheltered trees, giving the overhead hazard in the area plenty of space. We dug in the snow on a North East aspect at 2000 m. We found 20 cm of soft snow on top of the most recent crust; the top 10 cm of this was moist and sticky from the rain. Below this is 30 cm of well-settled snow sitting on an old crust from January that has completely decomposed. The lower snowpack is again well settled and showing signs of long-term stability, which is good news for spring riding, after this atmospheric river passes us. While we were in the field today, we did not see any avalanches in motion, but there is evidence of many size 1-1.5 loose wet avalanches in the area. As the rain continues to fall and temperatures remain elevated, we expect this natural avalanche cycle to continue over the next few days.

Mause

Published: Mar 14th, 2026

HS 205cm. ECTM(12) at 20cm with propagation across block although this storm snow did not feel like a slab yet. There was a layer at 70cm but could not get it to release even at 30 taps.

Pedley Pass

Published: Mar 13th, 2026

Excellent skiing at Pedley Pass. 30+ cm of new snow over the last two days, with a total of 185 cm at the pass itself. A pit at the top of the pass showed no obvious weak layers except for potentially where faceting began 60-80 cm down. One instance of whumpfing occurred at the convex role at the pass proper, where it is a wind funnel. No natural avalanches observed on anything other than extremely steep (>60 degrees) slopes.

Lunch bushwack

Published: Mar 12th, 2026

Rain crust to 1450m dry snow above 1500m 10-15cm

Lakit Snow Obs

Published: Mar 11th, 2026

Some observations from today in the Rockies. Supportive crust on E aspects to at least 1900m. Overcast and snowing lightly above 1900m. Only felt light wind although stronger wind was audible. Dug in the snow at 1980m facing North. Here there was no supportive crust but the snow was very firm and supportive to skis. HS 190, boot penetration of 45cm, ski pen of 4cm and preserved hoar frost about 2cm thick down about 55cm. This layer produced 'cash register’ style sudden planar releases. The layer immediately above (maybe 9cm) did not fail in tests but separated from the released block as one unit. CTM (20) SP down 55, XL hoar flakes; ECTH (25) SP down 55, XL hoar flakes; PST 45 / 100 end down 55.

Tiptoe at Window

Published: Mar 10th, 2026

We spent the day sledding around Window Mountain. Access was smooth, there is 5-10 cm of crust/ice on the Atlas trail, just enough to make it work with some chainsawing. The day was a mix of sun and cloud, winds were light from the south. Air temperature was -8 at 2000 m (at noon). We were pleased to find 12 cm of new snow on the surface. Below, the weekend rain event has formed a new 3 cm crust. The late January persistent weak layer is down ~50 cm. This layer produce hard results in compression tests, but we could not get it to propagate. We observed numerous size 1 loose dry avalanches in steep alpine terrain. As well as one size 1.5 wind slab on an alpine east facing slope.

Mud, rock and a little snow

Published: Mar 7th, 2026

Not much snow from York to Lost Lake. Rode a lot of dirt and mud. Rain all day & windy. Heard a couple avalanches fall. Didn’t go into Lost Lake due to heat avalanches fall and it being socked right in.

Sidehills, Sun Crusts, and South York

Published: Mar 6th, 2026

Today in South York it was sunny and warm, but a moderate westerly wind kept the snow surface cool. The riding was crusty and firm. At 2000 m, the crust was still firm, and the sleds stayed on the surface. Even on aggressive side hills, it was difficult to break the crust and dig the track into the snow. We observed no signs of instability and no recent avalanches. The wind was blowing the little snow available in the high Alpine around, depositing it in the upper NE start zones. The big story today was the surface crust. There is 5-10 cm of newly formed crust on the surface due to the warm weather this week. This is capping 35-60 cm of cohesive, well-bonded snow. Below this slab of snow, on southerly aspects, there is another crust. On northerly aspects, this crust doesn't exist or is very thin. The weak layer lies just below this crust, composed of large, sugary snow grains. The mid- and lower-snowpack is well settled and strong.

Snowpits to Striploins: Observations on Nordstrom Ridge

Published: Mar 4th, 2026

Today, we ventured out into the northern area of our region. We spent the day on Nordstrom Ridge, once again, searching out and testing the persistent weak layer in the snowpack. It was a warm, overcast day, with some light rain in the afternoon. The snow surface below treeline was wet, while the snow in the treeline and alpine zones was moist. We expect the southerly aspects up high have seen the most impact from the sun. We dug profiles on southerly and northerly aspects in the treeline. We found the weak layer buried 30-60 cm down from the snow surface. The warm temperatures and the time elapsed since burial have made this layer more difficult for riders to trigger. That's not to say you won't still find avalanches in this area, but that it's going to be more difficult, and likely on steeper, larger, and more consequential terrain. While exploring the area, we noted significant new cornice growth on ridges, prompting us to modify our plans and allow for more space. While in the field, we observed no new avalanches. We observed extensive evidence of a previous cycle, along with significant pinwheeling and snowballing in the below treeline and treeline elevation bands.

crucifix

Published: Mar 2nd, 2026

was expecting snow conditions to be much different after reading the bulletin. thought we would go check out the zone and see what the snow was like anyway. The area was pretty well stripped of all storm snow that had fallen early in the week, which left a hard wind affected styrofoam riding surface

(Rotary) Wings Over The Rockies

Published: Mar 1st, 2026

Kimberley SAR had some flight time this evening near Mt Fischer in the South Rockies. We saw no natural avalanches during our flight despite the intense solar loading during the day, but we did see a lot of wind loading on lee aspects and rime formation at mountain tops.

Beehive Lookout

Published: Feb 28th, 2026

We didn’t enter avalanche terrain but had fun skiing the low angle trees. No signs of instability today and didn’t see any natural avalanche activity in the alpine. The snow was good slightly wind pressed powder in the trees around 30-40cm above the crust.

Race(horse) against the machine

Published: Feb 27th, 2026

Today we made our way to Racehorse. Throughout our travels we saw no new avalanches. At 1:00 pm we were at 2100 m. It was -2, snowing lightly, and the wind was moderate with strong gusts from the W/NW. We dug 2 profiles, one on a south aspect and one on a north aspect. Much like yesterday (see our min from Crown Mountain) we were getting settlement and whumpfing as soon as we stepped off trail. Whumpfing typically signals a collapse of a weak layer in the snow - so we knew without even seeing it, that the persistent weak layer was present. When we dug into the snow we found a mix of surface hoar and facets on a crust buried under 50-60 cm of snow. In all of our tests we got easy-moderate propagating results on this layer. Despite the wind, we had a great day. We are anticipating a bit of new snow, and potentially some warming in the coming days, further adding stress to the buried weak layer. We opted to stay out of avalanche terrain, knowing what is lurking beneath us!

Crownin' around

Published: Feb 26th, 2026

Today we went to Crown Mountain to keep assessing the distribution of the persistent slab problem in the South Rockies region. As we were sledding to our destination, we observed a few natural size 1 loose dry avalanches out of steep alpine features one size 1 persistent slab avalanche, failing on buried surface hoar. We found up to 50 cm of soft snow at the surface of the snow pack. On north aspects, this has fallen on a layer of buried surface hoar. On south aspects, this has fallen on top of a melt freeze crust. In our snow pit test we had a propagating result on the persistent weak layer (ECTP13 down 45). The soft snow has been redistributed by wind in the alpine, creating pockets of wind slab. As we were moving through terrain, the wind was moderate from the NE and was blowing snow around at higher elevations. We were able to see cornices and wind slab actively forming. As we were skinning up a low-angle slope, we were getting a significant amount of settlement (whumphing) so we decided to test a small slope on our skis to see how reactive the softer snow would be on the surface hoar, and we got a reactive result (see photo). The persistent slab problem is a major player in this area. After digging in the snowpack, and testing the slope, we made the decision to ski down our low-angle skin track and back to our snowmobiles.

Fording river rd

Published: Feb 25th, 2026

Sledding north of Elkford. Dug pit at 1780m Snow depth 117cm Aspect NW 32cm of new storm snow on top of persistent slab. 85cm snow below is very faceted snow, not much bonding. Snow storm was reactive and subject to failure in compression test.

Windsday...Sorry, Wednesday At York Creek

Published: Feb 25th, 2026

The story today was wind. Over the past week, the Crowsnest Pass has received 40-60 cm of new snow, and the winds have been relatively light. Today, the winds returned, along with isolated convective snow showers in the afternoon. We were met with strong to extreme winds with moderate and intense snow transport. The winds were actively building a slab, and in just 45 minutes our snowmobile tracks had been completely filled back in. There is a significant amount of snow available for transport, creating the possibility for surprisingly large avalanches. The snowpack in the South York area is 170-220 cm deep at 2000 m. There is 40-60 cm of new snow. On southerly aspects, this sits on a melt freeze crust, while on northerly aspects, this sits on a layer of facets. The mid and lower pack is made up of a layer of fairly well consolidated facets, that are in the very early stages of healing and gaining strength. Today while in the field we observed no new avalanches, but our visibility was limited by significant amounts of blowing snow.

Sunny Skies and Soft Turns

Published: Feb 24th, 2026

It had been a few weeks since our last visit to the Elkford area, so our objective was to assess the amount of new snow and its effect on the snowpack. We were happy to see 30–70 cm of new snow over the past 10 days or so. We noted major differences in the snowpack between north and south aspects. Prior to this new snowfall, there was a period of warm, clear, sunny weather. The warmth created a temperature crust on the surface of all south-facing terrain. This crust does not exist on north aspects, meaning the new snow is falling on previously wind-redistributed, softer snow with pockets of buried surface hoar. The mid and lower portions of the snowpack consist primarily of facets. We had a variety of results in our snow pit tests. On a north aspect, we had no propagation result on an extended column test (ECTX) and a hard result on a compression test (CTH26 SP). However, on a south aspect at treeline, we observed an easy result on a compression test (CTE7 SP). At 1:30 p.m., the temperature was -5.3°C, the skies were clear, and the wind was light to moderate from the northeast. A small amount of snow was being moved around at treeline elevation, and we observed stronger winds at ridgetop moving significantly more snow. Although we did not observe any cornices, wind slab was actively building in the alpine. We saw no recent avalanche activity in the surrounding terrain.

Glop Glop Glop

Published: Feb 22nd, 2026

Small size 1 at the top of the path likely from previous day. Did not travel up the path for a closer look. No whumpfing or cracking noticed. 30+CM of fluff sitting on a firm crust that could be felt in areas. Stuck to semi open trees. Turns were great. Snow was hot at lower elevations, lots of glopping. Snow was cool at higher elevations in semi protected areas.

Spooky like a PNW Reef Break in the Fog

Published: Feb 22nd, 2026

Today was spooky low down and on east aspects. Lots of whomping in the open well below treeline. We stayed on low angle unconnected slopes to reach the alpine/ridge top. As we went up conditions seem to improve and hand sheer test went for easy planner to hard and a break. However, after skiing the first line we went to check another spot and were able to get shooting cracks that ran 30-40 feet up a small steep east facing slope so we went back to the first area and skied another lap on a true south feature. We dug a pit at 2000m in a shaded SE facing 29 degree sloped and had CT14 and ECTX but we only isolated down to the first crust for the test. Fun day, but tricky conditions and more surface hoar is widespread in the alpine above 2100m.

Pedley Pass

Published: Feb 20th, 2026

Saw several avalanches on steep cutblocks and in the main Pedley Pass bowl, occurring after recent snow on 16-17 Feb. Some whumpfing and shooting cracks observed in cutblocks close to the lower hiking carpark. Stuck to north-facing treed slopes where we skied knee-deep powder. No snow instability was observed in the trees.

Too Good To PASS Up!

Published: Feb 19th, 2026

Today we visited the Crowsnest Pass, and found excellent riding conditions. Over 30 centimetres of new snow has fallen, greatly improving the riding and access! While snowmobiling today we actively avoided avalanche terrain, and gave overhead hazard plenty of space. We observed evidence of a widespread natural avalanche cycle from the previous storm producing avalanches up to Size 2.0 in alpine and treeline terrain. The new snow in the below treeline is very soft, and has not started to form a cohesive slab yet. Throughout the day, the wind was surprisingly calm, but as we left the area, it picked up and began blowing the snow around. This will create sintering and bonding of the snow and begin to form more slabs in exposed areas at treeline, and in the alpine. We dug profiles on southerly and northerly slopes, and found the new storm snow to be sitting on a crust/facet interface on Southerly slopes, and sitting on large facets on Northerly slopes.

Sunny, but still not stable in Sparwood

Published: Feb 19th, 2026

Tried stepping out into some slightly larger terrain today, but it turns out the snowpack is still not ready for it. Less whumpfing or shooting cracks while trail breaking than any other day this week but we still ended up remote triggering 3 x Sz1’s. Average 40 cm deep, 40° slopes, east aspect around 1850m. Up to 80m wide crowns. Measured 58cm storm snow en route up to the ridge and probed between 170 and 190cm HS on a north aspect about 1700m. Right around this elevation we stopped noticing the underlying crust but this was only on the norths, still prevalent on the easts. Decided not to ski the line after remote triggering multiple slides but still had fun, deep turns in some lower angle, dense, supported trees to get back down. Will take a few nights of warmer temps (-10°c or above) to promote rounding and start healing this problem layer. Light breeze out of the south at ridgetop this afternoon, no sign of any significant wind affect on any snow all day

Pre-storm Syncline Exploratory Tour

Published: Feb 15th, 2026

We set out on a exploratory tour up the gully to climbers left of Syncline S1. The trailhead was dry, so we started boot-packing directly from the car. Were able to transition after ~ 1km, but quickly switched back to boot-packing due to low coverage across the stream in the gully. We were able to transition and skin once exiting the gully and onto the North-East face we set out to ski. We observed ~5cm of fresh snow on top of the sun crust. Our goal was to find some wind-loaded snow to ski (which we did find, around 15-20cm deep in places). We also wanted to better understand the new snow / old snow layer before the 20-30+cm we are expecting this week. On the skin track we saw poor bonding between this new snow and older-crust. The crust layer was "punchable" in the trees and shaded aspects. Observed some wind slab when above tree level, and decided to transition and ski from there. The wind-loaded terrain was easily releasable on top of the old snow, and will be problematic as new snow loads atop it. We saw some small cracks on this terrain. Great day overall. Made some nice turns, but a super tedious/slow approach at low tide made this tour a lot longer than anticipated.

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