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. 

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

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. 

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.

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

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. 

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

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.

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)

Yes, more fresh snow yesterday morning.

For a cool blog written by Alex Wigley: Skitheory

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. 

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. 

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

Loose snow avalanche on the Tantalus from the new snow on Wednesday and Thursday.

At 2280 meters the temperature was +3, it was dead calm as of 06:00 hrs.
At 1550 meters the temperature was +5, 55 % relative humidity and the barometer is steady.
In the valley it is +3.

For the updated Avalanche Advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

More discussion on the Snow Be : The Searchless Beacon

Who did get the most snow this winter: Top 21 resorts North America

International Association of Snowmobile Administrators: IASA

Still lots of snow in the Alpine.

The forecast looks good for today, more sun than cloud. Only 4 days left of lift access.

At 2280 meters the temperature was -1, winds were 20-35 KPH from the ENE as of 06:00 hrs.
At 1550 meters the temperature was +4, 76% relative humidity and the barometer is rising.
In the valley it is +4.


For the updated avalanche advisory click here: Avalanche Advisory

From the World Snowboard guide: Avalanche & Rescue

A ski safety blog: Blog

The fresh snow from yesterday morning.