26 Jun 2012

Avalanche debris at the very bottom of Rainbow Glacier.

Large rocks and many trees were in the debris.

Scientist growing crystals to study layers in the snow pack: Snow Lab

International Snow Science Workshop 2012: Anchorage Alaska

Snow drift measurements: Iceland

Another article on the Sno Be which I posted On May 22, 2012: Bad Idea

From New Zealand, snow profile information: Arthur's Pass Mountaineering

A local bob cat, this one near the Chateau golf course, spotted one at 1800 meters a few days ago, first time I have seen one that high up on the mountain. Marmots and grouse beware, as if the cayotes at that elevation  were not a problem!! Kary Firstbook Photo




24 Jun 2012

Sun bowl corner on Whistler Mountain, thats a lot of snow. Ian Cruickshank Photo

Update on Siachen Glacier : More bodys recovered

Mount Rainier Tragedy: Rescue Efforts

22 Jun 2012

Early morning light on Fissile, June 21, 2012.

Avalanches at 14K Camp on Denali:  American Alpine Institute

A personal account of an avalanche rescue August 6, 2008: Argentine Rescue

21 Jun 2012

For the first day of summer, this photo still looks like winter! Juneuary in the mountains!

Avalanches on Mars: Sand Avalanches

California powder in June: June Powder

A very relaxed Marmot! Taken with a 18 Mil lens.

19 Jun 2012

Great Blue Herron, after the Bus Depot was put in I have not seen as many as in the past. Kary Photo

A video with a worthy ski cut: Skiing and Biking

Another update on Mt McKinley avalanche: American Alpine Institute

Video of avalanche rescue in New Zealand: Mt Taranaki

Interview with avalanche survivors: Mt Taranaki




18 Jun 2012

One of the many local coyotes which have been thriving in the Whistler area.

Update on the avalanche on Denali: 4 climbers swept into a crevasse

Update on climbers in New Zealand: 500 meter ride

It is -1 in the alpine this morning. 

17 Jun 2012


Avalanche on Denali has 4 people missing.

4 Japanese Climbers Missing: Mt Mckinley

Avalanche kills 2 tourists in Ledakh: North of Srinigar

Two men injured in NZ avalanche: Mt Taranaki

From Unofficial, lots of snow in Argentina: Dumped On



Whistler SAR recertification for Long Line Rescue on a rainy Saturday in June.


16 Jun 2012

One of the larger bears in Whistler.  Kary Firstbook Photo

Avalanche related court case in Austria: Guilty

Avalanches, A climbers perspective from New Zealand: Mountain.co.NZ

From New Zealand, Avalanche Rescue dog training: SAR Training

From our neighbours just south of us, Decision making tools: GAFSC

The weather has not been ideal, temperatures are 1.8 degrees below normal in Vancouver for June so far. This morning in the alpine its +3. Could get some more snow showers in the alpine tomorrow. 

14 Jun 2012

Marmot on Blackcomb, Rainbow Mountain in the back ground.

More information on the avalanche in Peru: Guide and climber found

When should you have a transceiver on a dog: From Unofficial networks


12 Jun 2012

Cornice releases on Flute.

First Avalanche Fatality in South America for the 2012-2013 season: Peru

From the US, 4 people caught in an Avalanche: Bozeman MT.

From New Zealand, great start to the season: Lots of snow

11 Jun 2012


Lots of surface sloughing with the new snow that fell in the alpine.

This is a climbing clip but it has a great feel, there is one avalanche in it: Shattered

According to snowforecast.com some of the mountains in South America are about to get dumped on.

Some parts of New Zealand have had significant snow amounts already.

The avalanche season in the southern hemisphere is just starting. 

9 Jun 2012

One of the many new yearlings in the valley.       Kary Firstbook Photo

The alpine was looking very white yesterday. -2 in the alpine this morning.

From Arthurs Pass in New Zealand: Early Dump

From Doglotion: Train Faceshots


8 Jun 2012

One of the many local beavers, seems to be enjoying the wet weather.        Kary Firstbook Picture

Update from Avalanche in China: 10 People Killed

Avalanche Researchers used in studying ice cream: Tastier Ice Cream

Snowed in the alpine, -4 at 2260 meters this morning. Next week looks like a more favourable weather pattern. 

7 Jun 2012

Two male bears having a stand off, lots of bear sightings in the valley! Kary Firstbook Photo

Will be posting information on wildlife and hiking trails as the summer progresses. Not going to post every day.


Update on Avalanche in China: Prospectors Buried

Form the NorthWest Weather and Avalanche Centre: Conditions south of the boarder


6 Jun 2012

Photo from June 10, 2008. Still no big results around like this.

Avalanche in China: 3 dead, 7 missing

Deep Slab Avalanches What Where When Why: Mike Conlan

Still avalanche reports in Switzerland: Swiss Avalanche Advisory

The weather has been quite cold and snow is coming to the alpine again. 

5 Jun 2012

Barely see the Tantalus Range yesterday!!

Siachen Glacier update: Majors Body Recovered

From Montana: Going to the sun road

Air bag reviews: From Biglines

From the International Snowmobile Manufactures Association: Avalanche Safety

From one of the regular readers of the blog:

Debris field
The chopper comes alone from grey skies above
Rays of the sun have us thinking “a dove”
Our ears are attuned to nothing but silence,
Sound is all gone from the noise of the violence
The Mountain stands vacant from the souls who first came
The sudden attack for which nature takes claim

A strewn lays the rubble which covers all tracks
Except for the remnants of somebody’s pack
Shoulder to shoulder a line now appears
Probing the depths for those who are here
No sounds come from friends who are buried below
Only our shadows that came for the show

Back-breaking work as the minutes toil on
Digging and praying that hope is not gone
For some to be saved and some to be lost
Is the reality that’s paid for at such a great cost
At the end of the day we take stock of what’s learned
From the lines that were skied and fatally earned.



4 Jun 2012

Spent the day yesterday at the J 24 Canadian Championship Regatta, no avalanche activity in the area.


Arc'teryx is developing a new air bag, perhaps one day they will be built into a jacket, go to this site to see what one person has dreamed up: Jacket

From Wild Snow, Avalanche Airbag Backpack review: Air Bag Review



3 Jun 2012



Avalanche safety issues discussed in this post. 





One week and the white ribbon was no where to be seen!

From Charcoal Frost Ltd. an app for $9.99: SnoWhere

Not sure where all these ideas are coming from, I  posted on May 25 Th and May 26 Th articles on the SnowBe, which had an article written about it in the May 31, 2012 edition of the Pique. Another bad idea!!

Until the I phone can be used as a device to transmit and receive sound waves which can penetrate the snow and give a persons buried position accuratley we should all stick with the devices which can save our lives. The technology is a long way from where it has to be to make such a device. It probably will happen in our lifetime but not reality yet!

Comments on the SnoWhere App from Jonathan Shefftz's blog: Avyupdates

From Switzerland, Avalanche accidents from 1977-2006: Trends

There are not many snowmobiles in Switzerland. 

2 Jun 2012

Thanks to Amanda Taylor for submitting these photos up in the Birkenhead Area. Photos taken last week.

From the Utah Avalanche Centre, education: Know before you go

South American beacon project also about educating: Beacon Project

New presenting partner for the CAC: The Association of BC Snowmobile Clubs

Another decision in Vail regarding an avalanche death this past winter: Vail



1 Jun 2012

At 1000 meters the snow is all but gone! Amazing at how quickly it melted. In the alpine the snow pack is also diminishing.

A video from Gaper day:  From Unofficial

South American Beacon Project: Sending Beacons

Avalanche Research:


Pigs Buried Alive for Avalanche Research! 
EcoWorldly January 17th, 2010
In order to save human lives and study the effects of being buried in avalanches, researchers buried live pigs in snow while monitoring them as they died. The research was conducted in order to better understand the effects of oxygen deprivation from being buried in the snow as well as study the timescale of death. A total of 29 pigs were part of the two-week study.
Earlier this week, an international group of scientists sedated the animals and then buried them under the snow in the Tyrol region of the Austrian Alps. Some of the pigs were completely buried and suffocated. Other pigs, covered up to their necks, reportedly froze to death.
Scientists from Austria’s Medical University of Innsbruck and Italy’s Institute of Mountain Emergency Medicine, conducted the controversial avalanche research. Those involved in the study defended their research saying the animals did not experience any unnecessary suffering because they were sedated and given an anesthetic prior to burial. Dr. Hermann Brugger, co-director of the study, told the Associated Press, “We want to save lives, that’s the only goal of this study.”
According to a statement posted on the Medical University’s website on January 15th, since testing can not be conducted on people and because no virtual testbed to stimulate avalanche survival conditions exists, there is no “alternative to animal experiments.”
The Austrian Association of Animal Protection said, “The scientists should bury themselves, and their colleagues can analyze the results.” Following a public outcry, protests from animal rights groups and intense media coverage, the “barbaric” research has been stopped – temporarily.


31 May 2012

Snow creep on a low angle slope below the 4-5 road on Blackcomb.

Using a receiver hanging from a helicopter for searching: Utah

Avalanche Beacon reviews from Outdoor gear lab: Avalanche Beacon Reviews

Older story but still interesting:


Czech to pay for causing avalanche in Austria
05.03.2009, 07:57
Prague - A Czech skier is to be fined the equivalent of 280,000 crowns for having set into motion an avalanche in Austria, according to the daily Lidove noviny (LN).
On Saturday, he was skiing near the resort Kitzsteinhorn in the area with avalanche danger, thus contributing to the avalanche being set into motion, LN writes. No accident happened, but rescuers will fine the Czech skiing instructor for the costs incurred when they were checking whether anyone stayed under the avalanche.
On the basis of a special decree, the officials can exact the costs of the emergency intervention from the people who were not disciplined. "For this, we need no lengthy court trial," Kurt Reiter, emergency official in Zell am See, told the paper Der Standard.
The Czech skiing instructor, who lives in Kaprun during the winter, was moving in the area denoted by signs banning access to the area over avalanche danger.
The avalanche buried to the chest a German tourist, but he was not injured.
Using sniffer dogs and special equipment as well as a helicopter, the mountain service staff had to check whether anyone stayed under the avalanche, LN writes.
The Czech skier was not alone in the terrain, but unlike the rest, he did not escape from the scene and was helping the rescuers, LN writes.
"Naturally, these are mitigating circumstances," Reiter said, adding that there was a search for other culprits.
($1 = 22.076 crowns)

30 May 2012

Yes, more fresh snow yesterday morning.

For a cool blog written by Alex Wigley: Skitheory

29 May 2012

Yes even Santa Clause was enjoying the snow shower yesterday afternoon.

The mountain is now officially closed for the 2011-2012 winter season. Still some good skiing to be had yesterday but the day was all about the costumes and antics on the hill. 

28 May 2012

The past few days have been spectacular, 17.5 degrees in Whistler yesterday.

At 2280 meters the temperature as of 06:00 hrs was -1, winds were 5-10 KPH from the SSE.
At 1550 meters the temperature was +1.7, 99% relative humidity and the barometer is dropping.
In the valley it is +9.

For the updated avalanche advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

News from the Siachen Glacier disaster: Kashmir

Crowd sourcing avalanche information in Europe: Geo Avalanche

Finnish skier falls 2000 feet on McKinley: Orient Express

International Snow Science Workshop is in Alaska this September: ISSW

This will be the last day of regular updates. During the summer I will post some avalanche information with regards to the southern hemisphere, hiking trail updates around here and some local flora & fauna information.

Hope everyone enjoyed the blog this winter, any comments would be appreciated before the 2012-2013 winter season. 

27 May 2012

Mt Garibaldi view from the estuary in Squamish. Only 2 more lift access days left.

At 2280 meters the temperature was +1, winds were 10-15 KPH from the S as 0f 06:00.
At 1550 meters the temperature was +4, 62% relative humidity and the barometer is rising.
In the valley the temperature was +7.

For the updated Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

From the mountain Safety Council in New Zealand: Avalanche Card

Avalanches, National Geographic perspective: Avalanches

New Zealand Avalanche Centre: Public Advisory

From New Zealand Guide Bill Atkinson's site: Avalanche