22 Mar 2013




Yesterday morning the weather was unsettled!! Snowed in Pemberton yesterday but some how we missed any good precipitation.

Throwing a shot on Chainsaw Ridge.

It was a spectacular morning!!

At 2240 meters the temperature was -15, winds were 0-5 KPH from the NNE. At 1650 meters the temperature was -11, no new snow was reported there over night. In the valley it was -4. Observations taken at 06:00 Hrs this morning.

For the forecast, unsettled conditions for today into Saturday as the air gradually dries. Partly and mostly sunny weather expected for Sunday into Tuesday. Possible weak front expected for Wednesday. Northwest flow aloft will dominate the region until an offshore upper ridge approaches our area for Sunday. Possibility of a flurry this afternoon. Light snow may arrive for Wednesday.


For the local updated avalanche advisory: Blackcomb Snow Safety


Avalanche survivors to relate experience in Aspen: Powder to the People

Update on Avalanche West of Terrace: March 17, 2013

Ice a mystery ingredient in slope stability: GNFAC

Large Avalanche in Wesfjords of Iceland: GeoAvalanche

7 surprising facts about Ski Deaths & injuries in Colorado and the US: Unofficalnetworks

More information on slide near Terrace, Thanks to Penny(CAC Forecaster) for link: Update

Spring Skiing, its properties and dangers: Telluride Avalanche School


Avalanche in Switzerland:
A man died in hospital in Sion Tuesday 19 March, a day after he was caught in an avalanche near Trient, canton Valais. The 28-year-old Swedish man was snowboarding off-piste Monday afternoon at about 13:40, at 2,000 metres, when he triggered off a snow drift avalanche. He was found, thanks to his avalanche detector device, under 1.8 metres of snow, by the Chamonix mountain rescue gendarmerie. He was on the north/northeast slope of the TĂȘte de Balme, an area known as
La Grand’Jeur.

Old crown lines from March 20, 2013 when this slope went naturally during the storm.

A vent hole in Emerald Bowl.

Cornices are morphing into cool looking features!

Some of the permanently closed terrain on Blackcomb Mountain.

Great looking cumulus clouds at the end of the day, we are back into a normal spring pattern.

Heading to Vancouver . The easy way.



Story from last Saturday by David Tims:

Hey Wayne
I've followed your Whistler Avy Blog for the past year and a half … I spend most weekends in the Blackcomb Slack country mainly skiing around Decker, Husume, Corona and DOA zones
I spend at least a week each year with a buddy Lars Andrews up at Whitecap Alpine where we've done some pretty crazy descents including Prospector last year…
So while I have a fraction of your background and experience I would not consider myself a rookie in the back country.
Weather conditions on Saturday were pretty miserable and visibility was non existent…. I had skins on by 10:00 AM with the intention of making a laps of Husume/DOA/Corona…
While I was not the first on the skin track I soon passed those ahead of me and set the track up to Don’t Swill
Once I was ready to descend I immediately noticed that the snow above Don’t Swill was extremely reactive and sluffing without any ski cutting. Moreover, the snow was very fast moving and passed out of sight into the gloom. All loose snow and  not slabby…
The quality of the snow was great and made the best turns down Don’t Swill for the year and began the traverse to Husume… I would say 30 meters before the bootpack as I was beginning to push myself across the slope (first in) …. I was hit by a small slide of loose snow from above…. Point release with the slide path 20 meters across at the bottom.
I was not fully involved but it took me for a ride 10-15 meters down the slope…. As a mentioned no warning….
I just looked at your photos from y'day and my reaction was "Wholly crap" that avy was only 50 meters to the East from where I had my first one!!
Yep first one… Once I was ready to ski at the top of Husume I again noticed the snow was extremely reactive to my ski cut…gaining momentum and travelling a looong way… all surface loose snow
I skied in my sluff down the gully of the line (staying conservative) and at the half way point stopped below the rockline (skiers left) … protected from any snow which could come down from above.
I began the second half of the line staying skier's left and within 2 turns was again taken out by a point release from the rocks above me… I was more fully involved but kept my skis below me and was able to ski/pop out the side of the slide… probably in the slide for 3 or 4 seconds… 20 meters plus carried down the slope
I have a snowpulse back pack but did not feel that I was in need of pulling the pin….
At this point I felt discretion was the better part of valor and I basically traversed skier's left back in bounds….
Dave Tims