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Kootenay Avalanche Courses

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POWDER CREEK AST2+ January 21-28, 2017

February 27, 2017 by Keith Robine

Eight students took the AST2+ at Powder Creek in January.  We had some interesting avalanche conditions that made route finding important.  Below are some pictures and comments from students:

Spacing out on the way to Sunrise Ridge

The new course format is absolutely the BEST thing you could have done to improve the course!

Beautiful Larch trees at Powder Creek

I absolutely loved having the opportunity to self guide as it brought me out of my comfort zone and allowed me to put my skills to the test.

Two of the students volunteered to be actually buried adding a more real component to Companion Rescue

Time spent doing Companion Rescue was awesome and instilled more confidence in me.  I think this part of the course is essential.  I actively thought about this throughout every field excursion.

Practice doing an evacuation

Evening sessions were bite-sized and digestible.  You built on the knowledge but continually reinforce the learnings from the previous day.  The field sessions sync with the classroom sessions.

Nearing Mistletoe Peak, above the Kootenay Sea

I was impressed with the Trip Planner and Slope Specific Decision Tool.  I liked thinking about human factors and also consequences.

More beautiful larches

I think this course is so valuable and so well run!

Sunset after another perfect day at PC

Check out this Video, put together by one of the students, including Drone footage!

 

Filed Under: News

Idaho

September 23, 2016 by Keith Robine

I rediscovered some of the awesome outdoor opportunities in Idaho this past summer with separate trips bookending both sides of the summer.  Early summer saw us rafting the Middle Fork of the Salmon.  We had a solid group, 12 in all.  This trip helped inspire my recent foray into songwriting, “hot springs and whitewater rapids, so much fun it’s absurd”.

 

Anticipation

Anticipation at Pistol Creek Rapid

 

Taking the hit on Pistol Creek Rapid

Taking the hit

 

We're okay!

We’re okay!

 

Me about to hit the wall

Me about to hit the wall

 

At the end of the summer, my newly graduated daughter Sage and I headed to the City of Rocks in southern Idaho.  I hadn’t been there in 10 years.  I forgot about the quality of the granite cracks and the overall beauty of the City.

 

Sunset at the City

Sunset at the City

 

Sage led all 4 pitches on Theatre of Shadows, 5.7

Sage led all 4 pitches on Theatre of Shadows, 5.7

 

Descending off Jackson's Thumb

Descending off Jackson’s Thumb

 

Soloing on the back side of Bath Rock, 5.1. Impeccable granite!

Soloing on the back side of Bath Rock, 5.1. Impeccable granite!

 

Idaho has numerous hot springs, including this local's known gem.

Idaho has numerous hot springs, including this local’s known gem.

 

On the way back from the city, we stopped in the Sawtooth’s for an alpine climb attempt on the Elephant’s Perch.  Sage styled the Mountaineer’s Route, solid 5.9.

 

Pitch 6 Awesomeness!

Pitch 6 Awesomeness!

 

Elephant Perch Requisite Summit Shot

Elephant Perch Requisite Summit Shot

 

Note the skiffs of recent snow and remnants of a very good '15-'16 winter.

Note the skiffs of recent snow and remnants of a very good ’15-’16 winter in the Sawtooth’s.

 

Technical part over. Sage's nordic ski athlete training helps her kick my butt on the further 3 miles to hike out.

Technical part over. Sage’s nordic ski athlete training helps her kick my butt on the additional 3.5 miles we need to hike out.

 

Filed Under: News

Alpine Days

April 1, 2016 by Keith Robine

This is often a good time of year for days in the alpine.  The temperatures stay cooler and there are usually more days without fog.  During this time of year, we’re usually seeking out north aspects to get better snow and sometimes better stability.  I’ve been lucky to hit some great conditions around Revelstoke this winter/spring with good friends.

 

web The Dome

Nice deep snow on The Dome as high pressure starts to settle in.

 

web Illecillewaet

Jim and Crystal breaking trail.  The Illecillewaet Glacier is massive and best appreciated by walking across a good portion of it.

 

web Young's headwall

Getting chased by the sluff on the Young’s Peak Headwall.

 

web fixed line Banana

Getting gnarley with some Revelstoke locals, descending a fixed line to access the top of The Banana.

 

web lower half Banana

Steep and narrow, the lower half of the Banana.  The Trans-Canada Highway down in the bottom.

 

web Forever Young2

One more track added to the popular Forever Young Couloir.

 

Web Eagle Pass Heli Skiing

Surprised to find such good powder on steep north slopes during the warm days of late March.  It was a fun day of guiding at Eagle Pass Heli Skiing.

 

Thanks to Ullr for providing the great snow this winter and to all my partners for helping me stay safe.

Filed Under: News

Kootenay Powder by Joe Stock

March 5, 2016 by Keith Robine

Joe is a professional AMGA/IFMGA Guide, Writer and Photographer.  He is based out of Anchorage, Alaska.  His website is:  www.stockalpine.com

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 2016 AT 8:11AM

Last spring, on a BC Ski trip with Cathy, I realized I had much to learn from the Canadians about avalanches. If I poached that knowledge, I could bring it back to Alaska to share in avalanche classes and while guiding.

This year, Cathy I spent a week in Rossland, British Columbia with guide and avalanche instructor Keith Robine and his family. There I guided a couple days at Big Red Cats with Keith and shadowed/taught an AST2 avalanche course with him through his business Kootenay Avalanche Courses.

Rossland attracts adventurous people. Cathy and I visited with friends Steve Bros, Jim Mosher and Mike Cummings who I skied with in Denali last spring. We had dinner with Kynan Bazley, a Kiwi who I climbed with in New Zealand and hadn’t seen in years. We also visited with Jessie and Tami Brown who we climbed with in Kalymnos. Cathy injured her leg early in the trip, so the Rossland friendliness was extra-appreciated.

 

First day in BC, getting the grand tour with Ann Quarterman, Keith’s wife, on Mount Roberts, an off-piste area near Red Mountain resort. Through fog and thick trees I followed Ann to fields of what’s called “Kootenay Powder.” It’s deep and untracked, the density of Alta snow. Not too light that you’re hitting bottom. Not heavy like Cascade Concrete or Alyeska Ready-Mix. Just right for addiction.

 

 

Morning guide meeting at Big Red Cats.

 

Big Red Cats operates four cats with 12 clients per cat. That’s a lot of people, but they have the terrain and powder to handle it.

 

Keith ski cuts a size 2 on Mount Mackie. Overnight the slab had stiffened and took extra thumping to release into a tree-rattling avalanche.

 

The biggest thing I learned at Big Red Cats was how to guide in thick trees. It’s a whole different set of techniques:

  • Use the buddy system.
  • Hoot to stay in vocal contact.
  • Ski in pairs on either side of the guide tracks.
  • Trees increase consequences of an avalanche. Select terrain with extra caution for the snowpack.
  • Stay close to your buddy because sound doesn’t travel well in trees.
  • Tree wells are the greatest hazard in thick trees. Make turns below trees to avoid falling in.

 

Kootenay Mountains, Britich Columbia, Canada.

 

Keith demonstrating the Canadian Avalanche Association Trip Plan Form before touring on day two of the AST2 course. Avalanche Safety Training is the recreational avalanche education track in Canada. This year, the US will split into professional and recreational tracks, so we can act more Canadian.

 

Trees re-define avalanche terrain. By the fifth day of tree skiing I could see trees as something besides baseball bats.

 

Keith demonstrating the beacon fine search along a probe. This keeps the beacon at a uniform height and helps students visualize a grid.

 

Canadian Avalanche Association billboard at Kootenay Pass. Those Canadians are dialed.

 

Backcountry skiing at Kootenay Pass, Kootenay Mountains, Britich Columbia, Canada.

Skiing at Kootenay Pass for our final day on the AST2. Mountains of Kootenay Powder.

Thanks for a great trip Keith, Ann, Big Red Cats, Jim, Steve, Mike, Kynan, Barb, Jessie and Tami! And thanks Jim, for connecting me with Keith!

Filed Under: News

December Magic!

December 24, 2015 by Keith Robine

2015-12-12 11.55.33

December 12, 2015: AST1 students practicing Companion Rescue.

Are we lucky or what?  I hope you’re all getting a chance to enjoy the best start to the ski season in several years!  We’ve had fantastic conditions for the first three AST courses.  Thanks to all the students.  You’ve been great learners.  We’re really delving into the psychology of decision making in this years’ courses.  We’ve been using Breathing/Sensory Exercises and linking Brain Pathways to made better decisions in the back country.  The new Trip Planner and Slope Specific Decision Tool has been very well received.

There are other new learning tools in the Student Resources part of the website.  The Avalanche Canada Trip Planning Form can be printed and filled out to help plan a backcountry day.  Thanks to Scott Forsyth, a former student, who asked for the Avalanche Symbols and Abbreviations.  I compiled this to help people understand all the abbreviations used by people who submit to the Mountain Information Network on the Avalanche Canada website.  Those blue raindrops are submissions from recreational backcountry users across Western Canada.

Looking ahead, there is one space left for my AST1 course on Dec. 26/27, 2015.  There are also a few seats left for the Jan. 29 – Feb. 1, 2016 AST2.  For this AST2 only, we’ll be joined by International Ski Guide Joe Stock.  This will be an awesome opportunity to learn from myself and Joe.  Combined, we have over 50 years of experience in mountain environments all over the world.

Looking further afield, sign ups are happening for the Lodge Based AST2 at Hilda February 12-19, 2017.  We keep going back to Hilda because of the quality of terrain and challenging route finding.  Check out the cool video when you click the link to the Hilda AST2.  Also, see the special requirements before signing up for this demanding course.

I hope everyone out there has a nice Holiday Season.  Thanks again to Ullr for the great snow!

 

Filed Under: News

High Elevation Wins Round One Versus El Nino

November 5, 2015 by Keith Robine

IMG_0058PowderCam

The mountains received a healthy dose of snowfall last weekend, as shown by the photo on the right.  This was taken at Powder Creek Lodge on November 3, 2015.  Yes, that’s a lot of snow.  Powder Creek gets good dumps!  Even our local Rossland mountains didn’t fare too bad.  You can see 20 cm of new snow in the other photo of my daughter Sage taken last Sunday.  We have more snow in the forecast for the weekend and next week, so fingers crossed.

I actually prefer when the snow holds off till late October or early November.  When we get early fall snow in the mountains, that snow sometimes causes a weak layer leading to avalanches later in the year.

This latest snowfall has people getting excited for winter.  I’ve seen interest in KAC pick up over the last few days.  There is now only 1 space left on our lodge based AST2 at Powder Creek January 2-9, 2016.  This is an excellent opportunity to hone your avalanche skills.  You will also spend a week powder skiing at a beautiful backcountry lodge.  See my page for more details.

For those using phones and tablets to access the KAC website, I apologize that the tabs have not been fully functional.  I’m getting that fixed for you soon.  Many of you will be getting out your touring gear in the next few weeks.  The updated Trip Planner and Slope Specific Decision Tool can be downloaded and printed for you to take into the backcountry.  If you need a refresher, the Discussion Paper explains its use!

Please check back.  I’ll post a new blog every few weeks through the winter with impressions and stories about the 2015-16 season.  I also love to see those comments and questions.  It’s great to have a dialogue.  You can make a comment at the bottom of any page of the website.

Filed Under: News

October AST News

October 27, 2015 by Keith Robine

kootenay-avalanche-courses-logo

Happy fall everyone. My big news is the website. My best assets are in my outdoor skills. So for website design, I hired an excellent Rossland company called SpaceRace Digital.

There are a lot of resources on the website, including the revised Trip Planner & Slope Specific Decision Tool, which with student feedback, I’ve developed over the last two years. There is also a very useful Discussion Paper which explains how the tool works.
You’ll be able to see the upcoming course schedule, including lodge based AST2 courses. In addition, there is a blog which has the article I wrote on climbing Half Dome. After 10 years of dreaming about rock climbing the face in one day, I trained heavily this spring and had an incredible adventure. I’m pretty proud and hope you like the article.

For 2015-16, I still have 2 spaces for our AST2 at Powder Creek Lodge. Last year, they had a very good winter compared to other places. Powder Creek is situated in the Purcell Mountain Range at an elevation of 2100 meters, where they seem to be in a snow belt that often receives up to double the amount of precipitation compared to other nearby areas. This course will run from January 2-9, 2016. We’re going to offer a slightly different format. The AST2 will be held on Sunday/Monday/Wednesday/Friday. For the Tuesday/Thursday/Saturday field days, students will have the opportunity to put their skills into practice, planning and carrying out their own ski tours. There are also daily classroom sessions, where learnings are reviewed and the next day’s trips are planned. And in a week long lodge trip, there is time for rest, recuperation, and sauna!

Check out the page for more information about this course.

By now, most people have heard the forecast for a strong El Nino weather pattern. For our area, they’re predicting less snow than average. I remember the last strong El Nino in 1997-98. Although it wasn’t an epic year, it wasn’t bad, and we did get 52 cm of really light dry pow on March 4, 1998. I still remember wishing I had a snorkel on my first couple runs that morning!

Climate change doesn’t help either. I’m glad that we’re trying to help a little. Three percent of your fees to Kootenay Avalanche Courses go to climate change organizations that are focused on saving our winters in the future.

I imagine that the Powder Creek AST2 course in January will fill up pretty soon. So, I’m pleased to announce our next Lodge Based AST2 from February 12-19, 2017 at Hilda Lodge. Yes, we’re going back to Hilda for the third time. Hilda is a special place. Six people max. The previous two Hilda courses filled early. Just sayin’… This page will have further details.

Most of you have taken the AST1, but for new students this year, Avalanche Canada has revised the AST1 curriculum. I was part of the committee that helped oversee the revision. I’m pleased that we have a simpler curriculum, which will make the course better. There is more emphasis on human factors, and decision making is mainly focused on using the Trip Planner.

Best of luck to all of us that Ullr finds his way to your neighbourhood this winter!

Cheers, Keith

Filed Under: News

Student Video: AST 2

October 3, 2015 by Keith Robine

Chris Hey, one of the students from the January 2013 week long AST2 at Hilda Lodge, put together this fantastic video.  Note the Size 1 avalanche that dusts the videographer’s feet part way through.

Filed Under: News, Stories Tagged With: AST 2, avalanche

Mindfulness in the Mountains

October 3, 2015 by Keith Robine

This year, we’ll be adding more Mindfulness Training to our courses.

mindful in the mountains

Current research about the brain is showing that the better we learn to regulate our bodies before making important decisions, the better our decisions will be.  Although we’ve known for many years that human factors contribute to avalanche accidents, we’ve been scratching our heads how to teach human factors so that avalanche students will be less prone to making mistakes.  Perhaps this new knowledge about the psychology of the brain will help us when playing the avalanche game.

Filed Under: News, Stories

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