January 2026: Dickens Nailed It.
December certainly did deliver, and the storm cycles continued to supply the goods into January. It felt like the storm would never end. Then things changed. We went from the best of times to the worst of times (for a first world powder skier).
On January 12, the freezing levels climbed, and yes, it rained. Right to the peaks. When the rain stopped, the temperatures dropped. As the skies cleared, BC’s interior mountains were coated in crust and hard pack conditions. The season of hope turned into the winter of despair. But BC backcountry lodges are resilient. Ski touring is about travel as much as it is about the descent.
January 2005
Let’s turn back the pages of time to our first season of operations. Winter started strong. We had 170 cm at the lodge by November 27, and we were skiing blower to the valley bottom via Crystal Vision. Things looked good. We rounded the corner into mid-January, and freezing levels spiked. The rain came. Everything shut down. Ski hills closed and heli-ski operations cancelled. We continued with touring. A week later, the next storm came in (because there is always a next storm). It was moist and bonded well to the crust. We were back to skiing steep lines. During the course of a winter, the cycles tend to balance.
January 2026: No Powder, No Problem
Tough skiing. Our neighbouring heli ski operations closed shop due to the conditions. At Sol, our backcountry lodge sat above the valley cloud. Sunshine surrounded us. We buckled our boots and carved it up. Guests embraced the alpine opportunities that opened. We went on ridge walks, topped summits and visited new terrain, skiing wild places. Mt. Fosthall, Sol Mtn, Area 51, Pride Rock, Cirque de Sol - we even skied Twin Peaks! Corn snow made appearances here and there. Conditions like this remind us that the ski touring experience is about time and place: in the mountains, in the moment. Downhills are a bonus.
Storm Alert! Monashee Mountain Weather Cycles
To paraphrase Dickens (again), we believe that we shall see triumph. The timing is unpredictable, but another storm will arrive. It always does. Until then, the sun shines above the valley fog. Clear, alpine options beckon. Skins on.
If you have a trip booked, fear not. Lodge-based ski touring in BC’s backcountry restores the soul. Good company, good food, and skiing. All the essentials.
Ridgetop vibes.
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