Backcountry Update

AS OF TUESDAY, MAR. 21 Spring is finally here! We’re done with the short days and the worst of the cold snaps. The sun is out more, the air is warmer, and the days are longer. Images of spring skiing in T-shirts and sunglasses are likely to appear in your daydreams.

Wait just a minute… Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. We are still in a transitional phase and March can be a real trickster when it comes to avalanche conditions. The weather can be variable, with rapid temperature fluctuations. As a result, changes to the snowpack can happen at an alarmingly fast rate this time of year. On that note, we expect to see new snow and cooler temperatures as we head into the weekend.

The good news is that this new snow may provide excellent powder skiing. However, fresh snow can quickly turn into heavy, dense, storm slabs that make for challenging skiing and potentially dangerous avalanche conditions. The silver lining is that storm- slab instabilities that form during relatively warm periods settle and bond faster than they do in cold temperatures.

The recent sunshine and temperature fluctuations resulted in buried melt-freeze crusts that further complicate things. And, remember, the snowpack still contains the buried weak layers that we’ve dealt with throughout the season. New snow requires time to settle and stabilize. In the days after the storm, keep in mind that humantriggered avalanches are possible. Short periods of avalanche activity typically occur at the tail end of a storm, during periods of warm, sunny weather.

The March sun packs a major punch this time of year and can quickly destabilize new snow, causing wet, loose avalanche activity, primarily in steep, south-facing terrain. Your best bet will be to avoid steep, sunny slopes, particularly in the afternoon, when maximum heating is expected. Make sure you check the daily forecast at avalanche.ca for more nuanced travel and terrain advice. ■

CONDITIONS MAY VARY AND CAN CHANGE RAPIDLY Check for the most current conditions before heading out into the backcountry. Daily updates for the areas adjacent to Whistler Blackcomb are available at 604-938-7676, or surf to www.whistlerblackcomb.com/mountaininfo/snow-report#backcountry or go to www.avalanche.ca.

St unning 5.5 bed home on the 15th hole of the Nick laus North Golf Course

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Nick Davies, Whistler local and exper ienced family lawyer pr actising across BC and Yukon. Call at 604-602-9000 or visit www.macleanlaw.ca

Maclean Law is headquar tered in Vancouver with offices across Br itish Columbia

Parcel Tax Roll Review

This notice is applicable to owners of proper ty situated within the Resor t Municipality of Whistler and whose proper ties are subject to one or all of the following parcel taxes:

• Emerald Sewer Specified Area Parcel Tax

• Alta Lake Road Local Area Ser vice Parcel Tax

• Water Parcel Tax

• Sewer Parcel Tax

The Resor t Municipality of Whistler advises that the parcel tax rolls for the 2023 roll year are available for public inspection at the Resor t Municipality of Whistler Municipal Hall, 4325 Blackcomb Way, business hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday only (inclusive) (statutor y holidays excluded).

The Resor t Municipality of Whistler also advises that any complaints of the tax roll must be received by the Manager of Financial Ser vices no later than 4:30 PM, Thursday, March 30, 2023.

Valid Complaints are:

• Errors or omission of a name or address,

• Errors or omissions on inclusion of a parcel,

• Errors or omissions of taxable area or taxable frontage,

• An exemption has been improperly allowed or disallowed

A complaint must be in writing and must:

• Include an address for deliver y of any notices in respect of the complaint,

• Identify the proper ty of which the complaint is made,

• Include the full name of the complainant and telephone number where they can be contacted at regular business hours,

• Indicate if the complainant is the owner of the proper ty,

• Indicate, if applicable, the name of the complainant ’s agent and telephone number where they can be contacted at regular business hours,

• State the grounds that the complaint is based upon,

• And any other prescribed information

Resor t Municipality of Whistler whistler.ca