End of the Weather Report on Blogger

Hi Gang, I have had issues uploading photos for the blog so I have decided to shut down the blog and simply post the weather and conditions on our Facebook page - Summit Creek Cabins.  I thank you for following and supporting the blog. This streamlining will mean faster more efficient updates. We are either in for a very very good winter or another very tough one. Our fingers are crossed for very very good! I already posted the SnoRiders West forecast from the Fsrmers Almanac on our Facebook page and that is very specific and excellent for this area.

Again I ask everyone to be prepared, get avalanche training, first aid and support grooming by paying trail fees. We are getting bookings so call as soon as you know your dates. Cheers and enjoy the outdoors this winter! V

July 17/15 - Short Showers and Fresh Trails

Howdy Gang, top two photos are from our ride up & around Crown Mtn with Greg, Raelynn, Cooper & Mason and our Cooper with Sommer driving. Excellent day. Last two photos are from our quick trip up Trail of 7  Bridges this evening with Glen's group. We had a few short rains so the trails weren't dusty today. Lovin it! V

Jun 18/15 - warm evenings

We have had little shots of rain just enough to keep the dust down but the evenings have been perfect!

May 25/15 - Fire Ban On

Hi Gang - Well the deck is almost done on the Summit Log cabin - waiting for our rock to arrive.  We went on an epic ride on Saturday with Megan (who rode the hell out of her motocross bike - she had to work extra hard as it has no bottom end) and Kelly and Cooper and our crew from Corbin - great time.  Water was a bit high on the creeks and we only found snow above Wranglers on the Pipeline and the bikes had to get creative! We winched a few times but didn't have any carnage.

Just so you know an Alberta fire ban is now on.  We got a bit of rain today but it will take a lot more than that to cool the ground and settle dust and dampen trees.  So we will honor the ban here as the border runs right through us and I wouldn't want to be the person that started a forest fire!  Traffic moving pretty well at the construction right at the top of our access.  There are a few signs up to ask people not to block the driveway but they still do - not everyone but if you just signal and wait and stare they usually rearrange and let us in.  I haven't had to drive past yet and I have had the horse trailer on behind me many times. Be prepared for a bit of moisture this weekend and check your tires lol - cheers -V

May 16/15 - May Long Madness

May Long has arrived!  Ernie and Lee's crew are here again with a bunch of toys and no fear of the weather!  We got a bit of sleet earlier in the week - Wednesday I think but then it was just cloudy here and lightly raining all around us.  This afternoon the rain hit here and its still misting out.  It was much needed as there was a small fire at the ski hill and at Grave Lake near Elkford already this spring.  There's no snow to stop you from getting everywhere on the main trails due to our low snow year.

We have construction on the small bridge immediately at our turn off at Hwy 3 but the wait isn't long - they are using traffic lights to keep things moving every two minutes.  Its one lane over the bridge.  Only problem is that people block the access....why do people do that - nobody is going to jump ahead of them in line??? Jeesh - the lack of common sense disappoints me - I sit and wait and stare at them and traffic has to go around me until they back up enough to let me in.  The construction crew is supposed to get a flag person for the busy times so fingers crossed they do that at the end of June.  Otherwise it hasn't been that bad.  Its supposed to be done in July which is better than what we heard - Sept.

We are going strong on bookings for the summer so if you have dates you are thinking of booking please call me right away.  We are putting a new deck on the Summit Log cabin.  Hopefully we get lots of moisture over the next two months (but not another flood in June) so we avoid fire bans or worse closing the forest like they did in 2007.  Cheers Gang and get outside this summer and enjoy the trails - join the Quad Squad here in the Pass and help keep trails open! - V

Mar 24/15 - Evening Update - Snowing Still

Hi - Top two photos are what it looked like around 6pm and bottom two are from around 11am.  Snowing started with the biggest softest grauple I have seen and now its medium sized flakes and +1 - been snowing all day and visibility up top is reduced and its getting heavier not letting up at all.  We have about 4-5cm as of 7pm.  Its supposed to be -5 tonight and snow on the Sparwood side with chance of rain likely at lower altitudes and then the rest of the week and weekend will be in the +10 t o +17 degrees.  On the Crowsnest side it is supposed to cloud over tomorrow and then the wind is going to pick up to a possible 70km/h and temps in that +10 to +16 range for the week/end also.  March came in like a lamb but its going out like a lion as it relates to sledding.  We continually get the best snowfalls near the end of Feb and end of March and this year despite being a low snow year is following that same trend.  Beware wet slides if you go out.  Don't waste a day because with the coming temps, your access to and from the alpine will change dramatically over the course of a day.  Cheers - V

Mar 23/15 - Snowing Again

Morning Crew,
Well, its snowing again - started out as grauple but its quickly turned to big flakes and as I type its getting thicker and thicker out.  Callen on Summit Creek Cabins Facebook posted some awesome photos from up around Elkford.  He said its been snowing daily up top and today is no exception.  Looked like it from here but I haven't been up top and I won't be getting back out there.  Okay I am signing off and we already have close to a cm in about 20mins.  Hold off on the quads just yet! Cheers - V

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

Feb 15/15 - late Spring Riding Conditions

Well...lol...the Vintage run had 26 sleds and the Flathead was groomed. Cooper & his buddy Merrick took the old dogs up into Rain Gauge. They said the Flathead trail doesn't have any bare spots but scratchers would be  required in the newer sleds. They would sink u to mid thigh stepping off their sleds in spots up in the alpine but no new snow and No powder. Our trails are bare at the Corbin Hwy.  you would have to trailer to get as close as possible to get to any snow.  Locals are riding and also on the dry trails they have razors out. I don't know if it's worth driving very far for. That's up to you and whether or not you can be content just being on any kind of snow with a sled. If you are hunting powder it's not here.

Weather is +2 and sunny. It's supposed be between zero and +6 all week with flurries forecasted for mid week and rain on the Crowsnest Pass side of the divide on Fri or Sat.

Hoping March brings winter! Cheers - V

Feb 5/15 - Bah! Rain

Thought I would update everyone. It started to drizzle trying to snow and snowing up top in the afternoon. It has now been steady enough to negate the snow that fell today and we are down to ice again in the yard. It is 10:30 and +3. Forecast for tomorrow is a rainfall warning for Fernie area and a wind warning for Crowsnest. We will get rain/snow up here. Snow is forecasted Friday and Monday. But temps are going to be between +8 and 11 tomorrow from Sparwood to Crowsnest.

I guess Cranbrook is getting rain and so is Squamish although I don't know specifically where. Good idea to call ahead before road tripping. If you don't need to head here to sled then hold off.  It will be late spring conditions type riding at best and you will get wet.  I haven't been out since last week so I can't give you photos or specifics sorry. Next time you head out - read the Avy report because this weather is going to produce wet slabs. Sorry for the bummer news - get doing the snow dance! V

Feb 5/15 - snowing Big Flakes

It's zero out and snowing steady. Visibility up top is next to nil. We got 5cm of grauple snow Tues but no new snow til this morning.  Rain in the forecast for Saturday but that may just be down low.  Have to wait and see what it brings. Cheers - V