About Retallack

This page shows the current backcountry snow report, avalanche forecast, and weather conditions for Retallack. Check the danger rating, field observations, and Doctor's Orders summary above before heading out.

The Retallack region covers the Selkirk Mountains terrain between Kaslo and New Denver along the Slocan Lake corridor, centred on the upper Retallack and Carpenter Creek drainages that define the high terrain above the historic Slocan Valley. This area is well known in the backcountry community as the location of an established cat-ski and heli-ski operation, and the surrounding terrain features a dense concentration of high-quality north and east-facing slopes, open subalpine glades, and high-alpine ridge traverses at upper elevations. The region is accessed via Highway 31A from Kaslo or New Denver, making it a manageable day-trip objective from Nelson or a hub for multi-day touring. The Retallack region sits firmly within the Kootenay wet belt, receiving heavy snowfall from the same Pacific moisture track that feeds the Selkirks further north and producing a deep, reliable base by mid-season. The snowpack character is similar to the broader Nelson-Kaslo area — generally well-consolidated mid-layer with storm slab and wind slab on the upper terrain representing the most common near-term hazard. The region's southern position means that warm intrusions are more frequent than in northern Selkirk regions, and rain-on-snow events and rapid temperature cycling through late winter can accelerate the transition to wet avalanche conditions on solar aspects earlier in the season than regions at higher latitudes.

Terrain within this zone includes: Retallack Lodge, Kaslo, New Denver, Slocan Valley, Carpenter Creek, Valhalla, Sandon.