Dogtooth Avalanches & Surface Hoar

Submitted by
willwoodsguiding
Observations date
Wednesday, December 31, 2025 at 19:30
Location
51.305390° N 117.113720° W
Reporting on
  • Snow conditions
Map for Mountain Information Network report: Dogtooth Avalanches & Surface Hoar

Snow conditions

Riding quality was:
Good
Snow conditions were:
  • Powder
  • Wind affected
We rode:
  • Alpine slopes
  • Open trees
  • Steep slopes
We stayed away from:
  • Sunny slopes

Information

The day was:
  • Cloudy
  • Sunny
  • Warm
Avalanche conditions
  • Slab avalanches today or yesterday.
  • Rapid temperature rise to near or above 0°C or wet surface snow.

Comments

Out for a walk in the backcountry north of Kicking Horse today, lots of people out enjoying the snow. Saw a large slab (sz2.5 out of steep, rocky terrain (see 'Avalanche' tab) that I suspect was a solar trigger today, and several thinner windslabs out of steep terrain. The clouds kept the snow surface cool until about 2pm when things got hot up high. Also worth noting was new surface hoar growing on everything between ~1900m and 2300m in the Rudis and Molars areas.
large slab, suspect solar trigger
large slab, suspect solar trigger
smaller windslabs out of steeper terrain
smaller windslabs out of steeper terrain
surface hoar from ~1900m to 2300m in the Rudis and Molars zones
surface hoar from ~1900m to 2300m in the Rudis and Molars zones