Highlighting the MIN

“Beta” can be a divisive subject in backcountry skiing, especially in the niche of steep ski mountaineering. I’m not here to lecture on right or wrong but rather highlight a system we can all learn from: Avalanche Canada’s Mountain Information Network (MIN).

A MIN is a submission to the Mountain Information Network; in the U.S., we call these “obs” or observations. So, what is unique about the MIN? Nothing, really, except how Canadians use and embrace it as a peer-to-peer information sharing system. Let’s dive in.

To better understand how AvCan operates and how locals view the MIN, I spoke with two seasoned locals, Eric Carter, a Squamish-based ski mountaineer, and Grant Statham, an avalanche forecaster for Parks Canada in Canmore. 

Carter pointed out that unlike the system in the U.S., which divides avalanche forecast centers by state and then intra-state subregions, Avalanche Canada (AvCan) forecasts for a huge geographical area: Sea-to-Sky, Selkirks, Northwest BC, spanning east to Quebec. Open a map and overlay the size of Utah with Western Canada, and you start to get the picture. 

Grant explained that AvCan has a central hub of forecasters in Revelstoke that receive information from a wider team of professionals and forecasters working for other agencies. For most British Columbia forecast areas, the Revelstoke-based AvCan forecasters use field teams and telemetry to publish daily forecasts. However, for regions like Banff, Yoho, Kootenay, and Glacier (Rogers Pass), other agencies like Parks Canada will publish forecasts through AvCan’s web platform. In this way, AvCan acts as a country-wide distribution network for information.

If you have ever been on a guided trip in Canada, you probably have heard or seen your guide reference InfoEx. As Carter emphasized, InfoEx is a key resource that AvCan and partner forecasters leverage for daily forecasts. InfoEx is owned and maintained by the Canadian Avalanche Association and collects observations from industrial and commercial operators like guiding services and ski patrollers. It is a subscription-based service, not accessible to the public, and limited to commercial operators who meet CAA professional standards.