26 Jan 2012

Today we will be honouring an old friend whom I have had the fortune of flying with during his career as a helicopter pilot in Whistler. From rescues, medievacs, and lots of film work Dave Brolin was always there to help out. He was also a very fast skier!!  You are very missed!!
High winds with gusts of 120 KPH  and 30 cm of snow in the past 2 days equals a very big snowdrift!!!
Yesterday was the day if you like skiing steep smooth slopes with little to no ski penetration it was perfect. Mother natures form of grooming. It was an exceptionally good day. Wind pressed snow!!!

At 2280 meters the temperature was -10 at 05:45, winds were 30-55 KPH SSW. At 1550 meters the temperature was -6, 96 % humidity, and the barometer is rising. At 1650, pig alley the snow measurement was 14 cm at 1550 catskiner there was 13 cm recorded.  It was -2 in the valley.

Should be some awesome turns to be had today, especially in the trees.

For the latest Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

A bit more info from the Duffy Area:
Yeah I know, same old spot. But it was storming hard, and 2 thunderous naturals/2 trees fallen on cerise trail scared us off from heading up vantage ridge in the am. So we headed to pascall instead for a safer route up. Turns out the storm snow is pretty bomber and bonding well with no real layers of concern. We observed 1 natural in the W bowl off pascall that was clearly due to windloading under a fresh cornice. I suspect the others that we heard were wind loading as well. The snow is stupid deep and insanely dry for the duffey. I feel like I have said this every day for the last while, but today was some of the best duffey snow I've ridden


  • saw 1 and heard 2 naturals today on windloaded slopes - cornices grew a lot
  • we dug some pits around pascall - storm snow is bonding well and no layers of concern. over a meter now in the storm cycle