June 19th - Snow Conditions, Ski Argentina, Crevasse Rescue, and More!

We’ve got a few really important things in this newsletter! First up is a bit on the current snow conditions up in the mountains. Then we’ve got two pretty rad opportunities: get your South American ski fix, and we’ve got a cheap clinic for honing your crevasse rescue skills.

We’re also working away on our winter 2025 schedule. We’ll be releasing a teaser with a few of the more exciting plans in July or August and then mark your calendar because clinic and trip signup will open on Sept 3rd!

Current Conditions - Skiing and Climbing

Skiing has been winding down but we have still been exploring in the alpine and there are certainly still folks finding turns. The cold and snowy weather has kept the snowpack in the high alpine pretty healthy. Turns have been had up on the Hurley, around Cerise Creek, and up the Squamish Valley. With nice conditions in the valley but a late spring up high, it would be easy to be surprised by deep snow conditions in the alpine.

Washington Volcanos are still getting plenty of traffic. We had a lovely day up on the North Ridge of Kulshan (Mt. Baker) With just about an hour of walking before consistent skiing. Continued precip up high is surely helping maintain conditions!

With the incoming sunny weather, it will be prudent to let things go through a few melt-freeze cycles to tighten up and get a bit more supportive before sending it. Moderate alpine objectives however are in quite good shape. We had a lovely day scrambling on Sky Pilot last week with fast snow conditions and dry rock on the west ridge.

I’ll be holding off on high mountain scrambling/climbing (Tantalus, etc..) until things have dried out a bit and the snow consolidates.

It’s well worth having a look at Avalanche Canada’s Spring Conditions page - and actually clicking into the descriptions of each type. We’ve definitely been in the Cold & Snowy phase for a few days here and then moving on to either Daily Melt-Freeze or All Melt & No Freeze during the week. Seriously, click the links and give them a read!

Argentina Trip - September 2024

We’ve buried the lede a bit on this one…

“Trip of a lifetime” gets a bit overused but this is gonna be pretty sweet! Certainly the most fun you can have in September - because you’ll be on skis! Zenith is sending part of our guide team down to Argentina for some ski mountaineering adventures. A mix of day touring along with a multi-hut traverse. Big couloirs, South American Powder, volcanos, and amazing food with a good crew. If that sounds up your alley, read on!

Crevasse Practice Evening - June 27th

Do you have some glacier adventures planned this summer? Perhaps try to sneak one more ski trip to Mt. Baker? Just want to stay tuned up for next winter? We’re holding a crevasse rescue practice session the evening of Thursday June 27th.

It’s only $10 to hold yourself a spot and we’re going to donate all the fees to our friends at Squamish SAR! OnwardUp, Arc’teryx, and SkiUphill will be joining with some prizes.

Summer Rock

Our summer rock program is kicking along with good weather and dry rock. If you’ve got climbing goals for the summer and need a hand, you know where to find us - reach out!

Eric Carter, Evan Stevens, Brian Burger, and Jack Casey contributed to this report. For more information, check out Zenith Mountain Guides and our local avalanche forecast. These updates are supported by SkiUphill Squamish - the best stop for ski touring equipment in the Coast Mountains and made possible by the Sea to Sky Gondola! Use this information at your own risk! We are not responsible for your actions in the backcountry and conditions change rapidly from when this report was written!