Skookum Backcountry Adventures

08/18/2026

Avalanche Training Course dates are being released. Don't miss out! Book now at...

https://www.skookumbackcountry.com/bookings/ast2025/26

07/15/2026

Winter will come. We are only offering one AST 2 this season at Tiny Town so act fast! Fully catered. Sled access objectives. Up your game this winter. register at www.skookumbackcountry.com

07/10/2026

Need a Yukon Shuttle? We got you. Paddling, hiking, corporate whatever. Very competitive pricing. Message us or call 867-336-4875 and let us know where you need to go.

03/23/2026

I wanted to express some thoughts about the 2026 snowpack and why it might be difficult to ride with the same level of confidence that we normally might this time of year. At first glance, the White Pass and Haines Summit look like regular old WP and HS. In a lot of ways, they are. Highly variable from feature to feature. Deep in sheltered areas, shallow in exposed areas. Weak, sugary snow at the base of the snowpack.

People always ask me why we don’t get more avalanche accidents in our region. After 18 seasons in the area, I have settled on two things that answer that question. The first is that the the majority of our periods of elevated avalanche danger (Considerable to High) are associated with storm problems primarily Wind Slab and Storm Slab. However, it’s very difficult to access and enjoy our terrain during stormy periods so we see relatively little activity during these short periods of elevated avalanche danger and by the time the recreating public is able to access the terrain again, these problems have stabilized to a large extent. The second thing we have going for us is the stiff “bridging layers” that form within our snowpack thanks to all the wind we receive. These stiff layers usually make it very difficult for us to trigger the weaker sugar snow deeper in the snowpack.

The second factor is what I believe is different on many features this year. Due to the extensive cold weather our snowpack was subjected to this season, more-so than other years by far, not only are the crystals under the bridging layers weak structurally but the bridging layers themselves are also faceted and structurally weak. In fact, I dug a number of profiles over the last few days and the thing that struck me was how easy they were to dig. Usually, by this time of year, I can barely get a shovel through the stiff layers of the mid snowpack. This year, these layers took no effort at all to dig through. It’s all rotten.

In my opinion, we can’t rely as heavily on those stiff bridging layers this season because they are compromised. Combine that with the fact that we now have a super tempting layer of powder on top of it all and we’ve been cooped up with the cold weather all winter and it becomes a recipe for trouble. In addition to all of this, we are very data poor this season. No one has really been out. Even our beloved AvCan field team, for all their efforts, has been pinned down by the bitter cold and stormy weather. We're riding blind in a lot ways and our uncertainty at both the individual and community level is quite high.

I’ve never been one to tell people where they should ride of where they shouldn’t. This is a personal decision we all make every time we go out based on the amount of risk we are comfortable with. What I am saying is that it might be dangerous to make assumptions about features we normally ride all the time based on our past experiences with those features.

06/02/2025

We had some great AST 2 courses at Tiny Town this winter. Dates for 2026 are being release. Fully catered this year!!! Just show up, ride and learn.

Learn how to manage avalanche terrain, recognize danger, and mitigate risk.

05/30/2025

Little known secret. We offer shuttle services. 11px van with canoe trailer capable of moving 4-6 boats. Corporate events, hiking, etc. If the van is in town, we can probably help you out. 867-336-4875 or [email protected]

03/05/2025

Ski Touring in Glaciated Terrain. 3 spots left. April 11/12/13. Great deal for a couple of nights in our cozy cabins, instruction in all things glacier related, and some great skiing with an ACMG guide. Visit https://www.skookumbackcountry.com/bookings/glacier-travel

Or email [email protected]

01/23/2025

1 spot available on our lodge based AST 2 course at Tiny Town Feb 20-23. 4 days/3 nights in our cozy cabins. ACMG certified instructor. Terrain, terrain, terrain...... $1200 + GST email [email protected]

11/29/2024

Tiny Town is one of the most unique, lodge based ski touring experiences out there. Come join us where the Yukon, BC, and Alaska meet. Tiny cabins, big terrain. In partnership with
https://www.skookumbackcountry.com/tiny-town-adventure

11/22/2024

AST 1 Additional course alert. Jan 22, 23, 25. Two evenings in the classroom in Whitehorse and 1 full field day in White Pass.

https://www.skookumbackcountry.com/bookings/ast2023/24