Mar 23/15 - Light Snow

Hi Gang,
Didn't think I would have much change to post but its cool and lightly snowing straight down this morning.  Small flakes down here and nothing accumulating yet but you can see its significantly reduce visibility the higher you go so it doesn't look like there will be any snow loss up top. Forecast is light snow and flurries today.  Its +1 and the ground is frozen this morning.  Picking up a bit as I write this.  Have a great day if  you are heading out to sled today! Cheers -V

Mar 22/15 - Flurries in the Alpine Yesterday

Hi and Sorry I didn't get you a morning photo a few days ago but it only snowed 3cm down here so not much had changed and I had to get going.  So my guys here for the past 4 days had a great time back in Limestone and Heartbreak and they hit up Tent too.  They said the trail up to Barnes was rough but totally worth it as there was a good amount of snow up top.  They probed in Heartbreak yesterday and its still 8ft of base.  While they were up there it was raining a bit in Coleman and sleeting on the way up to our place and snowing right above us but up in the bowl they said they were stopped for a bit and got a foot of snow on top of everything while standing around - it was great but too socked in to venture out of the trees much not knowing what was above them.

I still see lots of sled decks pulling up into Atlas also on a daily basis.  Its clear today and that sun is packing some heat so I don't know how long the access into areas will hold.  Cheers and I hope everyone is having fun with their toys! - V

Mar 17/15 - Happy St Patricks Day - Snowing Again

Hi Gang, just a quick update - my photos weren't good in the dark so no photos.  Its Snowing again.  Actually I think it was snowing for the later half of the day up top but now its reaching us at 4600ft.  It just started and is coming straight down and is nice and dry - we have a cm already in about 30 mins.  They said it would snow on Wed and its starting early.  I pushed snow today so the guys could get into the cabins.  I have two booked for til Sunday.  I have the Divide cabin open if anyone wants to come enjoy this snow.  Photos from Elkford have been actually amazing and we have gotten a bit more than Sparwood area.  Still expect spring riding but you are likely going to find pockets of deep snow in areas.  Watch for wet slides and pinwheeling heads ups.  This snow is going to guarantee that you have decent access into the alpine instead of riding stretches of open gravel.  Still trailer to staging areas and creeks will be open but much easier to cross.  I have seen a noteworthy amount of sled trailers and decks today.  I will get you photos in the morning.

Mar 16/15 - 35-40cm of Snow & Still Snowing - Cabins Open!

We have 35-40cm of Snow (thats over a foot gang) and its just moist enough to form a base so its not blowing away.  I said if we got a big significant dump of snow I would open the cabins up.  So if you want a last minute trip while this lasts then give me a call.  Its still snowing and more snow in the forecast. Cheers - V

Mar15/15 - Snowing Hard!

Well - Cooper and Curt were dirtbiking at Kookanusa Friday til today and had an awesome time with the crew from Corbin.  Then when they got home today our rain (it rained all night long here) turned to snow and now we are having one of the best snowfalls of the winter and what would have been expected in March.  We have easily 10-15cm and its still snowing hard (big wet flakes) not letting up one bit.  Snowfall warning for this area said it would do this today AND tomorrow.  Its a good weekend when you get to use ALL your toys LOL. If you are travelling tomorrow just take note that the highways will be slushy - have good wipers for when someone passes you.  Temps are hovering at that +1 to zero degrees and supposed to cool down Monday night to -7 and be warm during the day at +9 and then cool again at night with more snow forecast into Wed.  May turn to rain at lower elevations.  You are likely to run into a mix depending on elevation.  Watch for wet slides if you go out.

It is Vanessa (used to be our manager) and Elviss (was one of our best customers lol) celebrating their 3rd anniversary and hitting up their previous haunts on the road to getting hitched.  We were their first stop and it was just like old times...just missing Boss.  Congratulations you two! (Elviss crying cause he left his sled at home - have another jager-bomb and hope the snow doesn't follow you guys to Golden to torture you and then hope it isn't still snowing here when you come back to Fernie!) Cheers - V

Feb 19/15 - Dry Yard

Our yard is dry. Snow on the trail but at the Corbin hwy it's all dirt for too long of a stretch to be able to ride from here.  I have looked over every long range forecast I could find with no glimpse of better snowfalls to come. Cooper has done a vintage sled poker run and then went dirt biking and is off to Cranbrrok for another vintage derby this Saturday. People are saying you can find snow way up top but you have to trailer to get close. The Flathead has enough snow to ride in from the staging area but without new snow I can't tell you how long that will last. 

We don't want anyone disappointed so we are gonna call it a season, close up the cabins and get out and play ourselves.  If we find quadding or sledding worthwhile then we will let you know.  If it dumps snow then I will post it. Until then I wish you all happy hunting and hope you find snow. Cheers - V

Feb 17/15 - Spring Riding Conditions

Morning Crew, its -6 out and sunny today and these photos are from the day after the vintage run with 26 sleds at Corbin and the staging area at the start of the pipeline and the highway into Corbin staging area - dry down low, snowy mountains in the background.  Sorry the last photo of the start of the Flathead is blurry but its snow on the trail.  Anyone who has ridden spring riding knows that you can be driving in dry roads and have to keep going further into a trail area than usual but then all of a sudden there is just this line and thats where the snow starts.  Well that is how it is for Corbin, Fernie and Elkford.  

The Corbin vintage run, Fernie snow drags and Elkford "The Betties Newbie Ride" all went ahead this weekend.  They are all reporting "very good spring riding".   This does not mean powder.  I keep getting asked for powder so I am stating it repeatedly.  It is set up, you should have scratchers, its hero snow which means you can climb anything just about anywhere. We keep getting a bit more than whisps of snow at altitude.  I see trailers and sleds refueling at the gas station in town almost daily and the guys that ride spring conditions aren't complaining - they seem very happy to be out scouting new territory that they can't normally get into.

Earlier in the season when I said it was very good spring riding - it was much better than this and I had guys complain so I am leaving it up to you to decide what you want to do.  All I can do is say there is set up snow, guys are riding it, you have to trailer to spots, bring scratchers and a t-shirt. Personally - we drove from Sask all the time and were fine with riding this but we lived to snowmobile so we are not a good gauge. Our buddy Elvis is out riding as much as he can no matter what the conditions.  So it is really personal preference....we don't make the weather - we just make the most of it. Cheers - V