11/19/2025
Today, we say goodbye to a truly remarkable human being, our friend and colleague Judson Wright — a devoted husband to Kelly, loving father to Griffin, dog dad to Phaedo, and a pillar of the Kootenay backcountry community. Judson wasn’t just an ACMG ski guide or a CAA Pro. He was a teacher, a mentor, a leader, and a builder of communities
Judson built an extraordinary legacy in the mountain community. He founded Kootenay Backcountry Guides, creating a space to educate and share knowledge with the backcountry community. He played a key role at White Grizzly, helping shape their mountain programs and team culture. He was also a driving force behind State of the Snowpack, helping it grow from a small local gathering at a brewery into a nationwide movement that empowers guides to step up and create a stronger and more educated backcountry community.
For Mountain Med, Judson holds a very special place in our story. He was the first person to believe in our vision and collaborate with us when Mountain Med was just beginning. KBG partnered with us for our very first custom program, and Judson’s support, enthusiasm, and trust helped shape what our courses would eventually grow into. Our ongoing collaboration with KBG has been one of the highlights of our work, and it exists because he believed in us and, more importantly, because of his commitment to building a more educated and prepared backcountry community — a commitment rooted in helping people make good decisions and come home safely.
Our hearts are with his family, his friends, the KBG, White Grizzly, and the STOTS team, the wider Nelson and the mountain community who are grieving this immense loss.
Thank you, Judson, for everything you brought to this world. Your legacy runs deep in the mountain community and in all of us who were lucky enough to work, jam, laugh, dress up and ski ( & shred ) alongside you.
Support for Judson’s Family & Friends
We are asking our community to come together in support of Kelly and Griffon during this unimaginable time. If you are able, please consider contributing to the GoFundMe created to help Judson’s family with immediate and future needs. Donations can be made here: https://gofund.me/a4b468c65
Personal Support Resources
During this difficult time, please remember to take care of yourself, check in on your friends, and find support:
During this difficult time please remember to take care of yourself, check in on your friends, and find support:
Canadian Mountain Community CISM Team - 1-604-670-2772 - hello@mountaincism.ca - https://www.mountaincism.ca/
British Columbia Bereavement Helpline - 1-877-779-2223 - https://bcbh.ca/
https://www.mountainmuskox.com/