Milestones: Past, Present and Future of the Association of Canadian Mountain Guides [2020]

How did the ACMG come to be, what do they do and where are they headed? ACMG’s President Sylvia Forest gives us a full run-down on the organization’s origins and evolving goals.

Sylvia ForestOctober 15, 2020acmg, association of canadian mountain guide

Staying Safe and Staying Inspired

This year marks the publication of the third annual volume of The Alpine Club of Canada’s State of the Mountains Report. Of course, 2020 will certainly be remembered as a very strange and unsettled year for most of us. Mountains may seem to be immune to human crises and influences, but the Covid-19 pandemic is a stark reminder that all places on our planet are intimately connected.

Lael Parrott, Zac Robinson, and David HikAugust 12, 2020sotm2020, covid19

Watermelon Snow: A Microscopic Serengeti [2019]

Each summer, alpine snowfields across Canada undergo a startling transformation from white to pink, orange, or a startling red, known as watermelon snow. Microscopic examination reveals a hidden ecosystem that is stunningly beautiful and surprisingly complex.

Jason T. Fisher and Alina C. FisherApril 21, 2020

Southern Mountain Woodland Caribou in Jasper National Park [2019]

Mountain caribou, the iconic resident of the area now known as Jasper National Park, are unfortunately on the decline. Learn a bit of history around the Jasper-area caribou and the events leading up to their population decrease.

Layla NeufeldFebruary 15, 2020jasper national park, mountain caribou, caribou, endangered species

Parks Canada Visitor Safety Program Focussed on Incident Prevention and Response [2019]

Two serious accidents in the 1950’s within Banff National Park prompted Parks Canada to form what we know today as Visitor Safety. The team focusses on the prevention of incidents, as well as their responses to them.

Conrad JanzenJanuary 14, 2020Visitor Safety, SAR, search and rescue

The Birth of a Mountain Range in the Appalachians of Newfoundland [2019]

Ever wonder how the mountains you’ve come to love came to be? John Waldron provides an overview of our early ideas and an outline of plate tectonics. Learn how the large arms of the Gros Morne National Park fjords were formed and what ice recession means for the mountains in our future.

John WaldronDecember 11, 2019plate tectonics, mountains, appalachians, newfoundland

Rapid Loss of Perennial Alpine Ice Patches, Selwyn and Mackenzie Mountains, NWT. [2019]

Through core samples and the melting process of the ice patches, scientists are able to gather important information on the animals and hunters that relied on these patches. So what happens when they’re gone?

Mammals of the Mountain Slopes [2019]

Mountains and alpine environments have long been a refuge for mammals. By following remote wilderness cameras, scientists have been able to track animals to see how they’ve been adapting to the change.

Jason T. Fisher and Alina C. FisherOctober 4, 2019mammals, alpine, grizzly, wolverine

How Can Mountain Tourism Embrace Sustainability? Through Tourist-Operator Collaboration [2019]

With increasing tourism and operations surrounding the industry, how do we keep up with the traffic while maintaining positive impact?

Elizabeth A. HalpennyJuly 6, 2019tourism, ecotourism

Living and Breathing Change: A Southern Tutchone Perspective on Climate and Research [2019]

From the viewpoint of an indigenous community in the face of climate change, explore the necessary need to change and adapt as crossings melt and water levels lower, and the vital partnership that should exist when future decisions and policies on climate change are made to Traditional Territory.

Tosh Southwick & Kate BallegooyenJune 21, 2019KFN, kluane first nations, slims river, river piracy, kluane

Mountains Matter

The ACC has committed to publishing the State of the Mountains Report annually, with the 2019 edition set to drop next week. As we look forward to the next edition, we’re reflecting back on the 2018 report with a look at the opening essay by editors Lael Parrott, Zac Robinson and David Hik about how mountains matter to us all.

Lael Parrott, Zac Robinson, and David HikMay 16, 2019sotm2018, mountains matter

Climate change to test mountain communities [2018]

How mountain people are at the gates of climate change and how resilience and adaptation will be necessary to understand the risks and actions required to maintain a successful community.

Kevin HannaMay 6, 2019mountain communities

The Mountain Legacy Project: Exploring 150 Years of Landscape Change in the Canadian Mountain West [2018]

By accessing and comparing old images to new, the MLP is able to document and display changes in our landscape, from glaciers, treelines, vegetation encroachment to wildfire habits.

Mary Sanseverino and Eric HiggsApril 22, 2019mountain legacy project, surveying, MLP, mountain imagery

Glaciers [2018]

How do we observe and analyze the change to our glaciers, and why are these changes important to us and our alpine environment?

Mike Demuth shows us trends and glacial recession that are hallmarks of climate change and what we can expect for the future.

Mike DemuthApril 8, 2019glaciers, sotm, sotm2018, state of the mountains

The shifting states of alpine treelines in Canada [2018]

What does climate change have to do with treelines shifting to higher and higher altitudes? This piece from Carissa D. Brown explores our diverse treelines across Canada - what keeps them alive in certain locations and what facilitates, slows down or prevents their expansion.

EnvironmentCarissa D. BrownMarch 21, 2019state of the mountains, trees, alpine, mountains

Avalanches in Canada: Understanding and mitigating the risks [2018]

With an increase in winter backcountry use, how do we help to reduce the risk of avalanche fatalities?

This article by Pascal Haegeli reviews our current knowledge base on avalanches and the blending of social sciences to help develop models for risk management.

Climate Change Challenges for Alpine Ski Resorts in Western Canada [2018]

Years of scientific data on greenhouse gas emissions allow us to accurately predict changes in temperature over several decades, including best- and worst-case scenarios. The numbers show that, if we continue on our current trend, it could spell trouble for Western Canada’s ski resorts, especially the coastal ones.

Michael Pidwirny, Kalim Bahbahani and Shane PedersenNovember 14, 2018

Mountain Writing, Film, and Digital Media in Canada [2018]

Joanna Croston, Programming Director for the Banff Mountain Film & Book Festival, provides a snapshot of the state of mountain literature, film and digital media in English Canada.

CultureJoanna CrostonOctober 23, 2018banff mountain film fest, bmff

The State of Canada's Ice Core Archive [2018]

Martin Sharp and Alison Criscitiello from the University of Alberta provide us with a history on Canadian core sampling efforts, an introduction to CICA's goals and facilities, and their ongoing projects.

Mountains as monuments [2018]

Outside of the ice sheets of Antarctica and Greenland, Canada has more glacier cover than any other nation — some 200,000 square kilometres. Professor Mike Demuth describes some of the seasonal and annual mass changes that are a direct result of weather and climate.

Environment, ScienceMike DemuthMay 22, 2018state of the mountains, glaciers

The State of the Mountains Blog

Articles from the annual State of the Mountains Report