Knucklehead Alpine Outdoor Society

08/10/2026

Huge thanks to our volunteers this weekend! 🎉
The A800 road to the Emma Lake Trailhead has been brushed back and cleared.

We met a lot of hikers beginning their journey into the alpine and were reminded just how much our trails and cabins are used and appreciated by the community.

This work isn’t possible without our incredible volunteers and the donations that help keep it going. If you’d like to support KAOS, consider making a donation or volunteering with us!

Interested in volunteering? Follow the link below to join our volunteer list and hear about future projects: https://form-can.keela.co/kaosvolunteer

If you would like to make a donation, follow the link below:
https://give-can.keela.co/hut-donations

03/24/2026

🏔 Alpine Education Scholarship Now Open! 🏔️

The Knuckleheads Alpine Outdoor Society is excited to support local youth in building outdoor skills through professionally guided courses.

This scholarship gives students the chance to explore backpacking, mountaineering, backcountry skiing/snowshoeing, and climbing - no experience needed, just a strong interest in the outdoors!

Who can apply:
• Grade 10 or 11 students
• Full-time residents of the qathet Regional District

How to apply:
Submit a written (max 500 words), video, or audio (under 4 minutes) application sharing your interests, goals, and why this opportunity matters to you. For more info on applications, please visit theknuckleheads.ca/scholarship

📅 Deadline: May 1, 2026 at 11:59 PM
📧 Send applications to: [email protected]

The Knuckleheads Alpine Outdoor Society is pleased to announce the launch of our Alpine Education Scholarship (AES). The aim of this scholarship is to help local youth cultivate their outdoor skills through professionally-delivered courses. This scholarship presents an amazing opportunity for indiv...

03/11/2026

🚨 Update regarding the March 14th-18th AST1 course 🚨

Unfortunately, due to a low number of participants, this course has been canceled. Apologies for any inconvenience.

Stay tuned for next season's AST offerings!

02/20/2026

KAOS would love your feedback on this year's Banff Mountain Film Festival!

If you attended BMFF in January, we would be stoked if you could spare a couple of minutes for this short survey 🙂 Feedback will help us streamline the event even further for next year!

Click here 👇

KAOS would love to hear your feedback on Banff Mountain Film Festival 2026

02/13/2026

KAOS shout out to the local crew at Western Forest Products .

For their on going support for KAOS and for our local Rec. Community.

Recently , post harvest , in the Knuckle head area. WFP made a sizeable donation of logs .
To be used at the Vic Cole Lodge for wood stove fuel.

Also, post harvest, extra road , and trailhead work was done to help keep access to Sentinal area sustainable for Rec users.
Parking areas established,
Trailhead fortification.

Our local WFP , and the crew’s willingness to work with us , over the years, for the benefit of Rec users, is much appreciated, and valued.

02/11/2026

Just a heads up everyone - the wood pile outside the Vic Cole is 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗼𝗼𝗱 and still needs time to properly season. It won't be ready to burn until next winter, so please help us keep it intact so it can dry properly and be ready for use when the time comes! 🔥

Huge thank you to 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘀 for getting the logs to the trail head, the amazing 𝘃𝗼𝗹𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 for splitting the wood, and of course the legendary 𝗔𝗹 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 for transporting it all!

01/23/2026

Just a heads up! The Vic Cole Lodge will be used 𝐒𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐅𝐞𝐛 𝟏–𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐅𝐞𝐛 𝟐, as part of our first AST1 course. There will be a group of about 9 staying at the cabin, but other users are still welcome to share the space.

01/23/2026

Friendly reminder that our second AST1 (Avalanche Skills Training 1) course for snowshoers still has space available!

This course runs from March 14th - 16th, with day one being a theory day in town, and day two and three field days at the Vic Cole Lodge! AST1 is a must for anyone venturing out into avalanche terrain!

Click here to secure your spot - https://www.islandalpineguides.com/trips/472

01/19/2026

We have a name update to share! 👋

At our most recent Annual General Meeting (AGM), members voted to change our name from Knucklehead Winter Recreation Association to 𝗞𝗻𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗔𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗢𝘂𝘁𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗲𝘁𝘆 (KAOS!).

This change better reflects who we are and how our cabins and trails are used - not just in winter, but year-round. The new name represents the full range of alpine and outdoor recreation our community enjoys across all seasons.

You may have already noticed the updated name here on Facebook. Nothing else about our mission, values, or volunteer-driven spirit has changed, just a name that better fits the broader area and activities we support.

2026 is shaping up to be a year of positive change for the Knuckleheads. Along with the new name, we’re welcoming new board members, rolling out a new donation platform (link below!), and working toward being more organized and on top of things - organized KAOS, if you will 😉

Thanks to everyone who participated in the AGM and continues to support this community. We’re excited to move forward together as KAOS!

Click here to become a member or make a donation ➡️

01/15/2026

𝙈𝙞𝙙-𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝘼𝙡𝙡 𝙆𝙣𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙡𝙚𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝘾𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙣 𝙐𝙨𝙚𝙧𝙨 ❄️

A friendly reminder that all Knuckleheads cabins operate on a 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲, 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁-𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗶𝘀. Posting in the Facebook group does not reserve a spot or grant priority access to a cabin.

Please be mindful of how your group impacts others. Our cabins are most comfortable with around 8 people, and larger groups can quickly lead to overcrowding. If you’re planning to visit with a bigger group, consider going up on a weekday or Sunday night to help spread out usage.

Being considerate also means remembering that cabins are a shared community space. Everyone has different comfort levels when it comes to things like pets, music, and intoxicants. Please keep noise low, impacts minimal, and be respectful of those around you.

If you’re able, please consider making a donation to The Knuckleheads. Anyone burning fuel - whether visiting for the day or staying overnight - is encouraged to contribute to help offset the costs of fuel and ongoing maintenance.
Donate here: https://give-can.keela.co/support-the-knuckleheads

Please remember: 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻, 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁. Take all garbage with you, don’t leave food behind, and if you finish a package of fuel, pack out the wrappers as well.

If you notice any maintenance issues or low fuel supplies, please let us know. You can email 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼@𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗸𝗻𝘂𝗰𝗸𝗹𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀.𝗰𝗮, or reach out directly to a Director you know.

Thanks for helping keep our cabins welcoming, functional, and enjoyable for everyone! 🏔