2023/24 BC Southern Interior

[bourbonisgood]

Folks I have 5 day tickets from Red's FTM promotion that are expiring at the end of the season...had a blast on my visit last year right before new years (minus a fluke fall that resulted in a dislocated patella but that was after two great days), don't currently have plans to get up this year. You just go to the window and swap em out. I'll happily mail them to a spot or two gratis. I'm in the states so will take 10 days or so I imagine. Let me know if you're interested.

PM sent

[PeteDee]

Folks I have 5 day tickets from Red's FTM promotion that are expiring at the end of the season...had a blast on my visit last year right before new years (minus a fluke fall that resulted in a dislocated patella but that was after two great days), don't currently have plans to get up this year. You just go to the window and swap em out. I'll happily mail them to a spot or two gratis. I'm in the states so will take 10 days or so I imagine. Let me know if you're interested.

Tix are spoken for - enjoy!!

[Lamothe]

Nice to see the same old folks keeping it real on the forums. I have been skiing around the Columbias a bunch this season ( 50 or so days ) and I can say hands down its the slowest start to the season I have experienced. I skied avalanche crest yesterday and the exit felt a lot like early December. I have spent time on the glaciers this season as well and there are crevasses in places I have never seen before. The illy and bruins north are places I have often traveled unroped but It would take a big change in the snowpack to feel comfortable these days. The recent dump we got sure stacked up in cms but was lacking in mm of water. It's settling fast and while it did improve coverage I still feel like we are a month and a bit behind average. Anyways, enough doom n gloom here is a little from Sol last week. Yes its on Tiktok, I am still young and hip.

https://www.tiktok.com/@chasingsnowf...49748634715653

[Dromond]

Seeing headlamps in the dark checks out after my first visit to Sol this December!

[alive]

Nice edit and summary, L. Was wondering how the glaciers are up up at the pass, but that sounds spooky. Will focus on the light and dry stuff, i guess.

[Lamothe]

Nice edit and summary, L. Was wondering how the glaciers are up up at the pass, but that sounds spooky. Will focus on the light and dry stuff, i guess.

It's wild. Had a friend up Safire Col yesterday and it was the same story. Navigating crevasses the whole way. Hermit is also pretty crevassed where historically it wasn't a issue. I am worried that the beta in the guide books/ internet/word of mouth and old habits will catch folks out with a bit more snow and wind. It's not the crevasses you see that are a problem after all.

[cat in january]

Good information, thanks, will be wandering around in a few weeks. Although I have been on them a few times, glaciers are pretty foreign things to me.

[paulster2626]

Anyone been to Revy lately? Just wondering what things are like up there - same coverage as last season? Better, worse? Shit weather on the way but hopefully it passes quickly.

Also not sure if this is the right thread for Revy - it's neither southern interior BC nor rockies and related...

[alive]

Yea, right thread for Revy. If you look at the whole province, Revelstoke is practically the deep south! Haven't been there for a while, but definitely less coverage than last year. High freezing levels and precip the next few days won't help except up high. Heading up tomorrow but hoping to escape the pineapple by heading north a bit.

[JimLad]

Probably around 60% of the average snowpack here. Was getting very good at 1600m+ in the trees but unfortunately this warming trend means conditions will be awful for the next couple of weeks at least by the looks of the long term

[paulster2626]

Probably around 60% of the average snowpack here. Was getting very good at 1600m+ in the trees but unfortunately this warming trend means conditions will be awful for the next couple of weeks at least by the looks of the long term

Perfect, I'll be out there exactly 2 days after the next 2 weeks.

Looks like it'll get cold again, but gradually and not like arctic blast, plus hopefully some more storms roll through. At least they still got burgers and beers at the top of the gondi - don't need good conditions for that.

[Kevo]

Hello from the Tetons.

Wondering if anyone has any insight into how things are in the far western Rockies? My financee and I are slated for a trip with a college buddy to the Icefall Lodge in March. Wondering how things are playing out up there.

We struck out at Battle Abbey last year with really terrible conditions, which makes me 0/3 on BC ski trips in my lifetime. Sounds like things might not be great this year either...

[Dromond]

Hello from the Tetons.

Wondering if anyone has any insight into how things are in the far western Rockies? My financee and I are slated for a trip with a college buddy to the Icefall Lodge in March. Wondering how things are playing out up there.

We struck out at Battle Abbey last year with really terrible conditions, which makes me 0/3 on BC ski trips in my lifetime. Sounds like things might not be great this year either...

Not the zone your are talking about, but some friends just got back from the Abbey on Monday. (48 hour delay as they flew out Monday afternoon.) The base is way thinner than average but they, had really good snow quality because it snowed when they were there. They were able to get to significantly more terrain than we were last year, but not all the usual stuff. The base is thin at valley bottom. However, it got super warm when they were waiting to fly out and apparently rained to 2,400m. Word from the people at the hut this week is that the skiing is extremely bad.

[Kevo]

Not the zone your are talking about, but some friends just got back from the Abbey on Monday. (48 hour delay as they flew out Monday afternoon.) The base is way thinner than average but they, had really good snow quality because it snowed when they were there. They were able to get to significantly more terrain than we were last year, but not all the usual stuff. The base is thin at valley bottom. However, it got super warm when they were waiting to fly out and apparently rained to 2,400m. Word from the people at the hut this week is that the skiing is extremely bad.

I really like linking up with my college buddy for adventures but at a certain point these hut trips just aren't worth being in the middle of nowhere and shitting in an outhouse for a week while dealing with rain and terrible snow.

We're scheduled to go back to the abbey next year, but I think that'll be my last time placing a bet on a BC hut trip. With two people paying, it is easier and cheaper to fly across the world and chase pow to Europe or Japan or wherever has good snow at the moment while staying in 5 star resorts.

[kootenayskier]

This past week would have been terrible (unskiable) at all the huts, with freezing levels above the highest peaks. Resort spring skiing on groomers has been reasonable. Temperatures are now heading back to normal for the foreseeable future, just need a reset of snow conditions. I’d be stoked if demand for and the price of hut trips dropped off.

[teamdirt]

I’d be stoked if demand for and the price of hut trips dropped off.

Yes- this would be amazing. Kevo please spread the word that the outhouse's are full of shXt!

[skisurfmirth]

I live close to Icefall. Unfortunately I think odds are your streak will continue. It’s been a dismal winter in this area so far. Hopefully it snows lots between now and March and stability improves.


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[Fred Pabst]

Hello from the Tetons.

Wondering if anyone has any insight into how things are in the far western Rockies? My financee and I are slated for a trip with a college buddy to the Icefall Lodge in March. Wondering how things are playing out up there.

We struck out at Battle Abbey last year with really terrible conditions, which makes me 0/3 on BC ski trips in my lifetime. Sounds like things might not be great this year either...

Icefall Lodge is the best!! Have faith..Elevation will prevail.

[Dromond]

I’ve been on eight hut trips in BC and had good skiing the vast majority of the time, but clearly it is possible to roll snake eyes.

[El Kanone]

I’ve got the net best thing to a BC Hut trip and in Someways better. A tiny house for rent right at the bottom of Kootenay Pass. $100 bucks a night super easy access to great backcountry skiing. No reservations last minute booking. Only 45 minutes to Whitewater. Cozy for two people could sleep 3, perfect for a couple.

Great for Rossland and Nelson locals who want a romantic getaway. And perfect spot for people doing the Powder Highway loop.

[Dromond]

That place looks awesome! Nice photo with it buried in snow.

[Stuntmonkey]

We skied Purcell Mountain Lodge over the weekend, and it was pretty good Thursday - Sat. Sunday was a half day as the temps came up to around 5 degrees and it was like moving through playdoh.

Loads of avys from windslabs and whatnot across the Purcells. Supposed to firm up from here onwards.

[AlexC]

I think the Glacier National Park avalanche forecast does a pretty good job summing up current conditions:

The good news? Well, the temps are finally dropping so any new precipitation over the weekend will be snow.

The bad news? There will be an extremely thick, surface crust which will render backcountry travel difficult and grim.

The crummy news? Backcountry travel is already grim with heavy, wet slop dominating surface conditions.

For anyone planning a trip in the next few weeks, I would advise against it. Until we get enough snow to bury the crust, the skiing will be pretty grim anywhere but on groomers. This winter is shaping up to be like 2015, which is the worst I can remember since moving out here in 2009. That year was plagued by atmospheric rivers and warm weather and generally shitty conditions. It didn't turn around until April, when the winter finished with a series of snow storms that brought epic conditions.

That said, Icefall is one of the highest lodges around, with quite a bit of terrain above 3,000 m. If anywhere is going to survive, it will be there.

[Kevo]

Thanks everyone.

I'll keep checking in as our week (in mid march) gets closer.

Fingers crossed. Hope things turn around for you all.

[panchosdad]

I really like linking up with my college buddy for adventures but at a certain point these hut trips just aren't worth being in the middle of nowhere and shitting in an outhouse for a week while dealing with rain and terrible snow.

We're scheduled to go back to the abbey next year, but I think that'll be my last time placing a bet on a BC hut trip. With two people paying, it is easier and cheaper to fly across the world and chase pow to Europe or Japan or wherever has good snow at the moment while staying in 5 star resorts.

You say "shitting in an outhouse" like that's a bad thing. Kids these days.