A Snowpack in Transition
BC Ski Conditions Update

I don’t have a very clear picture of the snowpack right now, mostly because I haven’t been out as much as I’d like. From what I can gather, we had some decent early-season snowfall through late October and early November before it dried up for a while. A warm spell in mid-November then formed a widespread rain crust, reaching an elevation of about 2100–2200 metres. That crust is now buried fairly deep, and it seems like most of what we’re dealing with now are various storm interfaces, with the occasional surface hoar layer lingering in more isolated treeline spots. With that broader context in mind, the immediate question is how the recent storms are building on this structure and what that means for travel and decision-making going forward.

Looking ahead, a series of warm atmospheric river events loaded with subtropical moisture and strong winds is forecast to impact the Pacific Northwest and southern BC through approximately mid-December. While this should bring ample precipitation, warmer temperatures and winds are likely to continue complicating the snowpack, especially at lower and mid elevations. Beyond December 15, the longer-term outlook seems somewhat more promising, with signs that cooler air may eventually return to the region. However, the current warm spell may take some time to dissipate entirely.

Although coverage at lower elevations remains limited, riding conditions at higher elevations have been quite good thus far, with relatively manageable avalanche risk in many areas. However, these conditions are evolving, and the approach that has worked so far might not be effective as the snowpack deepens. Clear, cold periods in mid to late November allowed weak layers to develop at the surface, including thin sun crusts, surface hoar, and facets reported across much of western Canada. In many regions, a November rain crust was later buried and has since developed facets above it. That layer is more likely to cause problems when rain falls on an already supportive snow surface, which is more common in lower-elevation alpine terrain. For now, it appears that the more recent layers at higher elevations in the snowpack are the primary concern.

In the near term, it’s wise to take a cautious approach. For now, keep things small and low risk, while closely monitoring snow conditions throughout the day. Below the treeline, coverage remains sparse in many areas, with rocks, stumps, and open creeks just beneath the surface. Fresh snow will make spotting these hazards more difficult, so it’s important to plan your exits and travel routes as carefully as the descent itself.

Always check your favourite weather apps and online resources — sites like Windy.com and YR.no are good places to start — and make a habit of reviewing Avalanche Canada before heading out. If you’re planning to visit a backcountry lodge or hut and will be travelling without a guide, it’s worth taking the time to read through the BLBCA’s Recommendations for Self-Guided Groups. The purpose of that document is simple: to offer some common-sense practices that help keep people safe, without taking away from the stoke we’re all chasing when we head into the mountains. Having fun and being safe aren’t mutually exclusive.

Are you interested in getting further updates on conditions and other winter travel suggestions? Be sure to check our latest blog by following the link below. 

Stories of Ice - Timeless and Timely
Words & Photos by Lynn Martel

Five years ago, my book, Stories of Ice: Adventure Commerce and Creativity on Canada’s Glaciers, was published.

Having a book released in the middle of a global pandemic is not something I would wish for any author. Still, since publishing timelines are set many months, even years ahead, the process is a bit like wishing for a perfect snowpack when you book next winter’s lodge trip.

I didn’t write Stories of Ice to tell individual stories, but to convey the broader story of what glaciers mean to us in Western Canada. I chose each story like adding another snowflake to the layers of how glaciers have shaped Canadians’ lives, and how they continue to. These stories are timeless.

Canada’s landscape was shaped by glaciers over repeated ice ages. Glaciers shaped BC’s mountains, from the Rockies to the Coast Mountains and all the ranges in between. The first humans arrived in North America after the major valley-bottom glaciers of the last Ice Age had melted, some 11,000 (Rockies) to 14,000 (Coast) years ago. The fur trade that brought Europeans to Canada’s West was in part fueled by the Little Ice Age that chilled the North Atlantic region from the 1600s to the 1900s. The railway that connects Canada’s east and west coasts – completed in 1885 – brought our first glacier viewing tourists, along with hotels, horse outfitters and climbers.

When I see glaciers – particularly in western Canada – I don’t just see ancient ice. I see stories. From the first Swiss guides to hike up the Death Trap at Lake Louise, to Mary Vaux and her brothers conducting North America’s first glacier science on the Illecillewaet, to Guy Edwards and John Millar skiing the Coast Mountains traverse for half a year in 2001, from Byron Harmon’s photos of Lake of the Hanging Glacier to today’s Instagrammers.

Anyone connected to Western Canada’s backcountry skiing community will recognize a lot of names on these pages, from Collie and Thompson’s outrageous 1897 crevasse rescue on the Wapta Icefield, to Hans Gmoser’s legendary backcountry skiing weeks in Little Yoho’s deep 1950s snowpacks, to Tannis Dakin watching Nordic Glacier shrink from season to season from Sorcerer Lodge’s living room window over three decades.

We honour our glaciers by sharing their stories.

Lynn Martel has published three books with Rocky Mountain Books, plus 10 biographical booklets and countless articles about the people, places and unique culture of western Canada’s mountain world. View her books, photography or hire her for a Stories of Ice presentation at www.lynnmartel.ca

For other stories of ice, check out our blog Year of the Glacier.

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