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Cheers to a New Season

November is always both the most exciting and busiest time of year at Avalanche Canada. In two weeks, we launch our avalanche forecasts for the season, which for us marks the true start of winter. Of course, our other program areas are already in full swing. Our webinar series is underway and our youth outreach program is in high demand. And the Avalanche Canada Foundation’s fall fundraising season got off to a great start with Braap it UP!, which was their most successful fundraiser yet!

We’re ready for another great winter in the backcountry and we hope you are too!

Pour la version française, cliquez ici.

In this issue:
Forecasts Start Soon
Foundation Fundraiser Winners
Online Resources
Snowmobile Mentorship Program
Canuck Splitfest Coming Soon
CBT Thank You

Forecasts Launch November 25

Our first avalanche forecasts of the season will be published for Thursday, Nov. 25. This year is particularly exciting as we’ve added Vancouver Island to our regions, and the North Rockies and Yukon regions will be receiving daily forecasts for the first time. This expansion involved hiring a new field team for the Island and four new forecasters in Revelstoke. We’ve also added a field team to cover northwest BC, which will be based out of Smithers.

Continuing from last year, our forecasts will be partly bilingual, and we will be issuing abbreviated forecasts by text. We will continue to publish morning updates when the weather overnight is significantly different than expected. Make sure to double-check the forecast in the morning in case it changes significantly and you need to revert to your Plan B (or come up with a Plan C).

As you head out, keep in mind that our early season forecasts are generally less certain because there’s less field data coming in from avalanche professionals. You can help out our forecasters and your fellow recreationists by contributing your observations to the Mountain Information Network. These reports help provide a better picture of the snowpack and are an invaluable tool as we ramp for the season.

If you're heading out before forecasts start, our early season conditions page is a great resource to help you make informed decisions. You can also use the Dangerator to help you estimate the danger rating when none is available. Remember, if there's enough snow to ride, there's enough snow to slide.

Chris Acres will be taking home this Polaris snowmobile as the grand prize winner in our Braap it UP! prize draw. Photo: Mountain Motorsports

Braap it UP! Winner

Congratulations to Chris Acres on winning a brand new Polaris snowmobile in the Braap it UP! fundraiser! Chris will be taking home a Polaris 850 PRO RMK AXYS sled. Scott Hills won the early bird draw of either an AST 1 or AST 2 course for his group, through the provider of his choice.

Braap it UP! Is the Avalanche Canada Foundation’s most successful fundraiser yet, taking in $60,113. We want to thank all the businesses and organizations that donated prizes, and everyone who bought tickets for the prize draw or took part in the silent auction. This was the Foundation’s first fundraiser geared at the sledding community and we are incredibly appreciative of the support. All money raised will support our public avalanche safety programs.

Upcoming Foundation Fundraisers

The Avalanche Canada Foundation has two fundraisers coming up this month:

  1. The Virtual Party for Powder online auction and prize draw takes place from Nov. 14–21. There is over $34,000 in fabulous prizes available, including heli and cat ski trips, ski resort packages, cool gear, and awe-inspiring artwork.
  2. This year, we are participating in Giving Tuesday, a global giving movement that falls on Tuesday November 30. Join us this giving season and with your help we can go further to provide a safe backcountry experience for everyone.

Stay tuned to our website and social media channels for more information on these two fundraisers.

Five Online Resources to Get Ready for the Season

With winter upon us, this is a great time to brush off the cobwebs and make sure you’re ready for the season. Here are a few online resources to help get you going this winter:

  1. Avy Savvy, our online tutorial, is an amazing introduction to avalanche safety and a great refresher for those with some education.
  2. The Rescue at Cherry Bowl is a gripping story of a real avalanche rescue, and a compelling case to take a Companion Rescue Skills course this winter. 
  3. Backcountry Access has produced a great series of videos and blogs on avalanche safety, with a particular emphasis on companion rescue.. 
  4. Ski-Doo’s avalanche safety videos are targeted at snowmobilers, but they're a great resource for anyone heading into the backcountry.
  5.  Not sure you have all the gear you need for this season? Check out MEC's backcountry ski touring checklist.

Canuck Splitfest Coming in January

The 12th annual Canuck Splitfest, presented by Eagle Pass Heliski, Mountain Equipment Company, and Columbia Basin Trust, takes place online once again from Jan. 7–9, 2022. We’re excited to announce that Abby Cooper, one of our avalanche ambassadors and a Splitfest regular, is organizing this year’s event. Like last year, we’ll be hosting three evening webinars that will feature some big names in the splitboard industry.

We're working on a new Canuck Splitfest website, so keep a look out. More details will be posted shortly.

The mentorship program brings our field team members together with snowmobilers who aspire to become avalanche industry professionals.  Photo: South Rockies Field Team.

Snowmobile Mentorship Program

Avalanche Canada is accepting applications for our Snowmobile Mentorship Program, which is a great opportunity for sledders pursuing a career in the avalanche industry. Mentorship is vital in preparing for professional-level training, and, while skiers in western Canada have many options for mentorship opportunities, snowmobilers do not. A pilot program was launched last winter, with three successful applicants.

We're looking forward to building on the success of the pilot project. Successful applicants will join either our North Rockies or South Rockies field teams, to experience how professionals plan and debrief their days, and participate in at least one field day each month. Our field team members will impart their knowledge of hazard analysis, trip planning, professional rescue, field data collection, and risk communication. In exchange, mentees will contribute their observations to the Mountain Information Network and their social media channels throughout the season.

For more information and to apply, click here.

Upcoming Webinars

Our webinar series is off to a great start this season, with more than 500 viewers for our first two presentations. We have 15 webinars scheduled so far, so please join us to learn more about avalanche and backcountry safety. Coming up in the next month, we have:

  • Wednesday, Nov. 10: Powder, Power and Pitfalls: Leveraging social media/MIN for a safer winter
  • Wednesday, Nov. 24: Staying Alive Night
  • Thurs, Dec. 8: Understanding the nature of avalanche problems.

Visit our website for more information and to register.

Thank You Columbia Basin Trust

Many thanks to our Program Partner Columbia Basin Trust for their long-time support of our programs. CBT's multi-year grants have provided us with much-needed stability for our warning service and other programs. These funds have also directly supported youth education for communities in the Columbia Basin. Our headquarters, and seven of our 15 forecast regions, are located within the Basin and we are grateful that CBT recognizes how important our programs are to this area and its people.

In 2017, Columbia Basin Trust President and Chief Executive Officer Johnny Strilaeff said, “We’re blessed with beautiful mountains here in the Basin, which means we have to be smart when we play out there in the winter. The efforts of Avalanche Canada not only help protect residents, but help our region continue to attract winter tourists. This boosts our economy, as does the fact Avalanche Canada and its employees are based right here in the Basin.”

Our youth program is in full swing and is completely booked up this year. Our instructors presented to over 1,700 students across western Canada in the first week of November alone. In this photo, Josh Smith, one of our youth education coordinators (in yellow), teaches companion rescue skills to a group of students at Walnut Park Elementary in Smithers, BC. Visit our website to learn more about our youth programs. Photo: Walnut Park Elementary
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