The following is a summary of areas visited and conditions encountered during the Thompson Rivers University Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide Guide Training Ski Touring Course over the past 6 days.

Areas visited included the immediate backcountry zones around both Whistler and Blackcomb as well as a couple days travelling in the Duffey Lake area off of highway 99.

WEATHER AND AVALANCHE ACTIVITY

A series of storms affected these regions preceding the start of the course and deposited up to of 100cm at TL elevations of the Whistler-Balckcomb area and averaging around 50-80cm on the Duffey Lake road. This storm snow landed upon a rain crust in most locations in the Whistler area and a facetted old snow interface on the Duffey Lake Road. Initial storm snow avalanches were plentiful in both areas failing on a combination of facetted snow, rain crust, and windslab layers. As cooling temperatures and clear skies prevailed sporadic avalanche activity was noted on a deeper weakness especially on the Duffey Lake road. See photo of the summit slopes of Mt. Rohr which was viewed on January 25th and seemed to fail in the proceeding 24hrs.

RIDING CONDITIONS

Clear skies, good visibility allowed us to travel in the high tree-line and alpine environments . Aside from isolated pockets of windslab we enjoyed great ski conditions on most aspects and elevations with the exception of steep solar slopes which had formed a sun-crust due to short periods of strong solar radiation.

OUTLOOK
Of course there is always a price to pay for clear weather and great ski quality. A thick blanket of surface hoar crystals overlies the majority of terrain at all elevations. Incoming snow fall and wind will alter the avalanche hazard dramatically as the SH is sitting on firm snowpack and a sun-crust in select locations. Although the forecast does not call for huge amounts of snow the incoming weather will raise freezing levels and be associated with moderate to strong winds which will build fresh windslabs in tree-line and alpine elevations.