Western North America Conditions 2025/26

[ChrisC]

When I talked to Kristen in the booking office before going up, she told me to be expect to do some touring and recommend renting high quality touring gear from a shop in Revy. After taking the time and $ to rent the touring gear, I was certainly interested in trying it out and discussed this with our group and the guide.

Interesting. Does everyone in the Mustang's small-group option come equipped with touring gear? I was not sure whether the program was touring- or hiking-focused, with a focus on entering more difficult couloirs.

I have only dragged/taken my touring gear (and downhill gear) to Japan, because, like in the US/Canada, the marked runs get tracked out, and you are then skiing sidecountry or lift-assisted backcountry. Typically, one needs to use touring gear for exits, and less so for entrances - more often at Kiroro and Rusutsu. Niseko has traverses like Mt. Bachelor for easy returns, unless you ski the huge North Face on the backside.

On our last day in Niseko, I said, "Enough touring," and just called a cab for everyone after spending an hour in the backside Onsen, and did not feel like touring and lift-riding for 1.5 hours, 180 degrees around to the other side.

 

[takeahike46er]

Three of my 6 Whistler trips were in late March/early April. My impression was that the Whistler alpine had similar snow preservation as Mammoth at that time of year, but all 3 trips had some new snow (only one of those a big dump though).

Perhaps the time of year stacked the odds in your favor? Atmospheric rivers are most common in the fall through January. They’re often behind the wild temperature swings even if Whistler is not in the line of fire. The deep coastal snowpack also keeps temperatures at elevation cool well into April.

March and early April are when I experience the most reliable conditions in the alpine. Steep, shaded aspects remain chalky. Even if there has been freeze/thaw conditions, the solar aspects are likely in play.

 

[Tony Crocker]

Atmospheric rivers are most common in the fall through January.

Larry Schick told me that long ago from his work in Washington State. He said all of the most destructive flood events have been November - January. There was one this recent December.

All of the Pacific State snow sites that measure both snow and water show the lowest water/snow ratios in February/March and the highest in November/December. November/December are also the months where this was one of several recent years with a storm that snowed substantially on the upper half of Mammoth while raining to the top of nearly all ski areas at Tahoe.