Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center

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Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center

Avalanche center located in Flagstaff, Arizona. What Is The Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center? KPAC was incorporated in the summer of 2005.

KPAC (Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center) is a 501(c)3 incorporated company. Our mission is provide avalanche education, safety training, and snowpack information for the San Francisco Peaks and Kachina Peaks Wilderness of Northern Arizona. Through education and awareness, winter outdoor enthusiasts can better prepare themselves for safer backcountry recreation.

04/08/2026

Based on previous years' data, we can definitively say that there is a direct correlation between the number of raffle tickets sold and the amount of snowfall the following season… strange, we know, but if you want more pow next year, y’all better BUY THOSE RAFFLE TICKETS! 🎟️ Drawings are happening every Wednesday & Sunday until April 19th.
https://kpac.betterworld.org/giveaways/Spring2026

03/31/2026

HEY YOU! Yeah, you 🫵🏼 Have you purchased your raffle tickets yet? We will be announcing another raffle winner tomorrow, April 1st, at 6PM! 🏆 Tickets are just $5 and go directly towards supporting avalanche education scholarships 🤓 You can show your support via the link in our bio 🔗

03/29/2026

Get ready to WIN BIG! Our Mikee Linville Fundraiser is live on BetterWorld through April 19th. Now’s your chance to win some awesome gear & prizes while supporting avalanche education scholarships through Kachina Peaks Avalanche Center 🏔️ 🎿

We will be raffling off prizes every few days over the next three weeks, starting tonight at 6PM! The grand prize winner (a 2026/2027 Power Pass!) will be announced at 6PM on April 19th 🎉 Head to the link in bio to purchase your tickets now! 🎟️

A massive thank you to all of the individuals & companies who have donated to KPAC to make the Mikee Linville possible, we appreciate you all so much 🫱🏼‍🫲🏽

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03/21/2026

YOU’RE INVITED 💌 to our biggest party of the year 🎉 The Mikee Linville Fundraiser, in conjunction with & .fast Boze Bump Bash & Cardboard Derby, is next Saturday, March 28th! 🏁

➡️ What is the Mikee Linville? Mikee Linville was a local skier and lift operator who tragically lost his life in a backcountry accident. This fundraiser honors his memory by helping fund avalanche education scholarships.
➡️ Over the last decade, funds from the Mikee Linville have provided $30,000+ in scholarships for 150+ students (17 of those are from this season alone!).
➡️ As a nonprofit organization, KPAC relies entirely on grants, fundraisers, and donations from generous community members like all of you!

We will be raffling off TONS of prizes - skis, gear, apparel, a 2026/2027 Power Pass, and so much more - both online and in-person. Additionally, Snowbowl will be donating the proceeds from every Witbier to KPAC 🍻 So grab your bathing suits and waterskis, we will you on the mountain! ☀️ 🏔️ ⛷️

03/13/2026

Drink beer. Support KPAC. Win-win. 🍻

For the entire month of March, is donating $1 to KPAC for every #2 poured 🫱🏼‍🫲🏽

So grab a patio beer and make it count. See you at Pay-N-Take! ☀️

03/03/2026

Our final FREE Avy Awareness and Education session is this Thursday, March 5th at 6:30PM at REI Flagstaff 🤓 This is a great opportunity to refresh your avalanche knowledge, or dip your toes into the wide world of snow science ❄️ We will also have some fresh KPAC swag for sale.

We have one last Avy Level I this weekend, and we’re looking forward to seeing you all!

03/02/2026

This past weekend, KPAC recreational course students evaluated the snowpack on a northwesterly aspect near 11,500’. They found a snowpack with moderate-to-high strength, poor structure, and failures that propagated along a persistent weak layer (facets) beneath the holiday ice layers. The video shows students performing an extended column test, with an ECTP17 result, indicating that the failure propagated on tap 17.

Because of results like this, KPAC forecasters continue to advertise a persistent slab problem. There is a low probability that a backcountry recreationist will trigger a persistent slab avalanche by collapsing a persistent weak layer, but if they did, the avalanche could be large.

Video from

02/26/2026

It was an active week on the Kachina Peaks, with numerous natural avalanches during and shortly after the last storm. We documented activity on many “frequent flyer” paths—including Snowslide, Inner Basin, Telemark, and Silverton—primarily on North and East aspects. Because these were “direct action” slides occurring mid-storm, recorded observations likely represent only a fraction of the total avalanche activity, as much of the debris and crown lines were likely concealed by new snow or erased by high winds. While not a historic cycle, these avalanches could have easily injured, buried, or killed a backcountry traveler.

Our operations are now in full swing - stay informed by checking the forecast Friday through Monday. You can subscribe to emails and alerts via the link in our bio. ❄️

02/21/2026

Storm totals are in and we have TWO winners from our contest! and .smith.10 both guessed right on at 31”! The real question is, who guessed the right wind speeds? We got reports of 70+MPH at the top! 🌬️

It’s feeling more like winter out there now, but don’t be fooled. High winds have moved the snow around, leaving some spots deep and others thin. Use caution and stay alert to changing conditions over the coming days. Make sure you are signed up for forecasts for the most up-to-date information.

Want to play in the backcountry? Do it safely. We have a few spots open for our February Level I classes (including our Ladies Level I!) and our March Level I. Sign up via the link in our bio. 🔗

02/18/2026

The avalanche danger is considerable. Storm total so far is 16” and counting. Winds will continue to load leeward slopes throughout the day and new snow will add weight to the existing snowpack. For more information go to our website kachinapeaks.org

02/07/2026

Time for a little trivia! Join us on Tuesday, February 17th at 6:30pm for some brews & Q’s (avalanche trivia Q’s that is!) at 🍻 Heck, maybe it’ll even be snowing! 🤞

01/27/2026

The L1 avalanche course found about 1 meter of snow on westerly aspects between 10800’ and 11500’. Snowpack had poor structure but was generally strong overall. We found faceted snow but no propagating failures in our instability tests. Access is tricky with the thin snowpack and lack of coverage on sunny slopes and lower elevations, but we did find some fun powder turns.

Address

PO Box 174
Flagstaff, AZ
86002-0174

Website

http://www.KachinaPeaks.org/

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