- Date
- mercredi 11 février 2026
- Étiqueté sous
As forecasters, we spend much of the winter behind screens sifting through MIN reports, InfoEx, weather stations, and model output–but field trips are an important part of staying sharp. They help us stay calibrated to how weather, snowpack, and terrain interact in the real world, and deepen our understanding of our large and diverse forecast regions. I spent last week travelling around the southern Purcells with fellow forecasters Tyson Rettie and Leslie Crawley. Here’s a snapshot of what we did and what we found.
Lumberton
We kicked things off by linking up with the South Rockies field team for a day of sledding in the Lumberton area, west of Cranbrook. Our main question was how much snow had accumulated on the late-January weak layer and whether it was developing into a reactive slab. This area sees limited reporting of conditions, and the nearby weather stations often underrepresent snowfall, so ground-truthing conditions would help the regional forecasts. We found the weak layer, but only 10 to 15 cm of recent snow was above it, with no signs of reactivity or recent avalanches. Despite the drought, riding was surprisingly good, and we had ideal conditions for trail breaking into new terrain. We wrapped up the day with rescue practice and took advantage of our large group by burying multiple transceivers. On the drive home, we read a freshly published MIN report from a few valleys to the north describing more recent snow and reactivity on the same weak layer, which set the stage for our next day.
We appreciated the great trail network and signage to find cool riding areas in Lumberton.
St. Mary
In search of this potentially more dangerous snowpack, we headed out for a day of sled-accessed ski touring in one of the southern drainages of the St. Mary River. Out of courtesy to local riders, we placed our MIN report pin near our staging area instead of our exact destination, which is an acceptable way to share information to the public and regional forecasters.
We often place our MIN reports at the staging areas rather than our final destination. Even without a precise location, the information is still helpful to local recreationists and the regional forecasters.
Although we were only a few kilometres from the previous day’s report that described widespread shooting cracks, conditions were very different. We found just 5 cm of snow above the weak layer. This really highlighted how variable the snowpack can be over short distances. This was the first of several unseasonably warm and sunny days, so we closely monitored the effects of surface warming and scanned for natural avalanches. We didn’t find signs of instability beyond some surface pinwheeling. That evening, we shared our observations at the State of the Snowpack event in Kimberley and connected with local skiers and sledders.
Warm, sunny weather in the St Mary valley.
Doctor Creek
Next, we headed north to Canal Flats to explore the Doctor Creek valley. Several past attempts to access this area had been shut down by avalanche debris on the road, and this trip started off similar. We encountered wet loose debris across the road that was a few days old. We stopped to carefully assess whether it was safe to proceed. We talked through scenarios, such as additional avalanches blocking our exit or getting stuck while crossing debris and being exposed for extended periods. After identifying several options that minimized overhead hazard on both the approach and exit, we were comfortable continuing.
Stopping at avalanche debris to discuss options for approaching and exiting that minimized exposure to overhead hazard.
Farther up the valley, we enjoyed sledding into multiple basins under clear skies. We were surprised to see so many sled tracks in an area that has never once had a MIN report. The quality of the riding and the scale of the avalanche terrain were impressive in this area, and we’re keen to revisit in the future.
One of the alpine bowls at Doctor Creek.
Road Patrol
Not every plan works out. With me sidelined sick, Tyson and Leslie attempted to access a sled-accessed skiing zone east of Fort Steele in the Rockies. Melted-out roads stopped them earlier than expected, leaving no practical place to park a trailer without committing to long stretches of gravel riding. They ended the day early and did some equipment maintenance and office work.
Some access roads look more like late March than early February.
Takeaways
Avalanche danger in the southern Purcells during this week was lower than in neighbouring regions to the west, an important insight for this relatively data-sparse area. More consistent MIN reports from riders in regions like this would further improve the accuracy and precision of our forecasts.
The trip also gave us firsthand familiarity with several riding areas where we previously had limited context. That local knowledge strengthens our ability to write relevant forecasts and better interpret observations.
Finally, despite weeks of drought, the snow skied and rode better than expected. Time in the field is always valuable, and it was great to get outside before heading back to our desks.
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by Simon Horton, Senior Avalanche Forecaster and Research Officer