[MCR] Commonwealth Creek, Nov 29

Took a tour up Commonwealth Creek in Kananaskis Country today (Nov 29). Travel is pretty grungy in the lower forest. The Nov 7 rain crust is supportive for the most part but still lots of alders and deadfall to work around. Once near treeline the snowpack became deeper but only 75cm compared to the main ranges where we were finding between 120cm - 150cm (Surprise Pass, Emerald Peak, Bow Summit). Ski penetration was ~20-25cm in faceted powder. The day was bluebird and warmed up to a chilly -16 C (as opposed to -27 C at the car at 10:30am).

 

Obviously, the snow is cold which made for slow-motion skiing back down. Once back in the trees numerous early season hazards still abound with barely covered stumps, rocks and logs lurking just below the surface.

 

No new avalanche activity observed but we did see the odd slab crown (24-48 hours old) during the drive along the Smith-Dorrien HWY. The deep gully on the north face of Commonwealth Peak had recent debris below it from sloughing. Lots of ridgetop wind transport observed up high.

 

All-in-all, a fine day complete with a proper bushwhack, cold faces and boot-top powder.

 

Sean Isaac

Assistant Alpine Guide

 

 

 

[MCR] Oboe Mountain, Whistler

Went out to Oboe Mt today.  Pretty cold, -24 in the AM. Later it warmed to -17 in the sunny and calm places.  Moderate northerly winds are still moving snow around but there is surprisingly little wind slabing. The skiing was great.  The mid snow pack still has moderate and hard shears that are coming out clean (on preserved stellars). Upper pack is soft and loose (Foot Penetration is approx 60cm) with surface hoar present in non winded locations.  We did not see any sign of slab avalanches. Ski cutting cornices produced only surface sluffing. Stability at Tree Line was Good, Hazard Moderate.

 

Two from our group decided to ski out Oboe Creek and down the Singing Pass Trail.  They reported that the snow coverage is great but the cold snow (mid -20's) is very slow to ski on. So take cold wax. Overall snow coverage is more like what you expect to see early in February on an average year - but lots of early season hazards are still around.

 

Dave Sarkany, Ski Guide 

[MCR] Lesser Flute, Whistler

Spent yesterday on Lesser Flute. Excellent ski conditions.  At 1800m the height of snow is about 2 meters. By 2:30 air temps were -16 with high humidity. Brrrr. Within the snow pack stability tests gave hard and moderate results with one easy test 20cm down from the surface within a fist density layer. Yesterday afternoon I rated the Hazard at tree line as Moderate, and the Stability at Tree line as Good.  The northerly and outflow winds started to effect the area at around 1pm.

 

Dave Sarkany, Ski Guide

[MCR] The Gorge - Malakwa - Nov 26

Short day at the Gorge today, above Malakwa, near Sicamous.  Temperature was minus 9 at 6000 ft / 1800 m, snowing less than a centimeter per hour, with light to moderate SW winds (probably stronger winds in the alpine).  There was a 200 cm snowpack, and 70+cm of low density storm snow on the recent raincrust below 5500 ft / 1700 m.  The only raincrust found above 1700 m is the Nov 7^th crust, which is 20 cm thick and down 140 cm now.  We skied a steep north facing line with well spaced trees.  There was only surface sloughing on 35+ degree terrain.

 

Excellent ski quality, and great coverage with a supportive snowpack down to the road at 4500 ft / 1350m.  There was even good skiing to be found in the lower cutblocks.

 

Driving back to Revelstoke there was a strong outflow wind at Three Valley Gap.  Looked like good (but very cold) windsurfing.

 

Jordy Shepherd

Mountain Guide

[MCR] east of Whistler Mountains boundary

I was east of Whistler Mt's ski area boundary in Burntstew Basin.  In the flats of the basin, at around 1700m, there is a height of snow of 150cm and a foot penetration of about 70cm.  Ski penetration is 30cm.  The ski quality is pretty much excellent. As the visibility was pretty bad by the time I got there I don't have a lot to say about the Alpine.  At Tree Line I saw no avalanche activity, and many slopes got there first tracks of the season; I'd place the hazard as Moderate, and going up as it storms tonight.

 

Dave Sarkany,   Ski Guide

[MCR] Connaught Creek - Rogers Pass

I was back at the pass today because yesterday was just too good to be true.  We were up the Connaught drainage this time wound with a lap on Grizzly Shoulder with excellent ski conditions and then a run to punch a track up to Balu Pass – where we spent the rest of the day by ourselves in 40-60cm new, very light and and very cold new snow.  

The shears down 15cm and 30cm are still present but not producing any significant results in areas skied today.  Minor sloughing in steep features but no real mass or momentum to speak of.  The winds were generally light from the north, gusting moderate and starting to transport snow up high on the shoulder up from Balu Pass just beneath 8812 peak, no slabbing observed at all today.

The weather was in and out but we got a reasonable look at the high country including 8812 bowl and the Cheops slide paths.  No wind effect in 8812 bowl at all that we could see, and most of the paths off Cheops that affect the valley floor have sluffed off in the last 24 hours, all running to top or mid path elevations.  All in all another fantastic day out at the pass... and its only November...

Skiing is excellent all round, reports from the Ursus area were 5 star as well.  Hazard wise, things are changing with all the new snow lately and more on the way – keep your eyes open, tips up and repeat your ‘Obvious Clues’ as a mantra out there...Avaluate things carefully.

Ian Tomm
Assistant Ski Guide

[MCR] Falling Pillars

Just a heads up that on our way to Lake Louise for a ski tour this morning we noticed that La Goute's top pillar had broken off probably due to cold temps.  As we were skiing out from Surprise Pass (which is still in similar condition as Sean's post) we talked to a couple of guys who had just experienced a really close call at the base of Louise Falls when the right side of the curtain fell off above them and left a huge pile of debris where they had been standing.

 

Its seems that its good to be weary of hanging ice when there are big changes in temperatures.

 

Cheers,

Marc Piché   

Mountain Guide

 

 

[MCR] Highwood Pass

Headed to Highwood Pass today for a crisp afternoon of skiing before the
Hwy #40 gate closes on Dec. 1. We were one of 6 cars parked in the area.

-22C at 11am in the parking lot with broken skies and a moderate wind from
the south that made us sprint into the trees for some reprieve.

I was pleasantly surprised to find an 80-85cm snowpack at 7500 ft. in the
trees. The Nov. crust sat about 10cm off the ground, 2cm thick with
facets and/or depth hoar beneath almost everywhere I looked for it.

About 15cm of fist density snow on 55cm 4 finger - 1 finger density snow
that sat on the crust. Below treeline the snow was not consolidated
enough to move on steeper features, but that changed in a hurry when we
reached treeline. Where the snow had any exposure to wind it was forming
a soft slab that produced moderate, resistant planer hand shears. The HS
also decreased to 40-50cm and some thinner spots with burried rocks - one
such spot producing a sizable settlement with cracks shooting for several
meters. I believe the wind had removed some of the HS beneath the most
recent storm snow as the surface was not visably affected until above
treeline where wind etching was evident. The alpine looked uninviting and
even a little scary with loaded pockets here and there, although I saw no
recent activity anywhere.

The best skiing was definately in the trees where we had great boot top
powder. Just above treeline and in more open areas we were getting the odd
"free stone grind".

At our high point of ~7700 ft. light wind transport had blown ~5cm of snow
in to our tracks in ~30 min.

On the drive home Whiteman's Falls looked quite thick, Kidd Falls looked
in typical condition and Amadeus was in although perhaps a bit stiffer
than the grade right now.

Cheers,
Shaun King
Asst. Ski & Alpine Guide

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Hudson Bay Mountain 25 November 06

Temperatures have dropped to -24 degrees at timberline with a moderate
southerly wind. There is wind effect to timberline and the upper
mountain shows a lot of wind effect. The 19 November avalanche cycle
has stripped the large start zones. The debris is blown off and
showing. Cornices are small. A profile at 1550 m shows 160 cm of snow.
There is a very easy shear on surface hoar 3 cm down, but we found no
rain crust, contrary to our expectations. The temperature gradient in
the top 50 cm is very strong.

Since the run down was variable and wind affected, we carried our skis
down into the path. Skiing quality was very poor on the avalanche
debris so we carried them all the way.
--
Christoph Dietzfelbinger
Mountain Guide IFMGA
Bear Mountaineering and the Burnie Glacier Chalet
Box 4222 Smithers, B.C. Canada V0J 2N0
tel. 250-847-3351 fax 250-847-2854
info@bearmountaineering.ca www.bearmountaineering.ca

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Bow summit and Observation

Just got back from an early morning ski in the bow summit area. Started off
with a few laps on the eastern slopes above the parking, then headed across
the HWY to an area just south of Observation Peak.
The goal, get a few turns and check things out.
It snowed lightly while I was there until 13:30. On the West side of the
HWY the wind was generally calm. On the East side (about 2.5 hrs later)
light winds with a few slightly stronger gusts (near my high point at
2510m).
On the Observation Peak side I could not observe higher elevation wind, as
the light was quite flat and visibility mostly poor above the trees. However
earlier I had not noticed any wind activity blowing of the rocky peaks above
the parking.
As I began to drive south the light was starting to improve as I neared
Lake Louise. I should of timed things better using satellite imaging
maybesome are not as skilled as others with technology, meaning me!
Above the November rain crust no significant layers to report, snow had low
density and provided good turns.
No visible avalanche activity. Cut a few roles with no result. All things
together it felt quite good going up and down. The temperature at my high
point taken on the east side was 22C (with a low tech thermometer).

Pat Delaney
ASS. Alpine guide
P.s.: Some times I trade my tools in for different toys!

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[MCR] Rogers Pass Connaught Drainage

Erica and I had a recreational day up Connaught Creek on Friday, skiing
Dispatchers trees and Ursus trees.

Snowing lightly all day, generally calm or light winds with some sudden
westerly gusts to moderate although up higher it seemed to blowing
harder. -12 at our high point.

About 150cm of snow at treeline, 120 cm on top of the Nov raincrust.
The entire upper part of the snowpack was fairly low density with no
major layers noted with probing.

A couple of size 1 soft slabs on steep rollovers in the immediate lees
of ridges. Some moderate sized cornices hanging around. No activity
today in the alpine that we could see in a couple of hours of decent
visibility although the light was flat. Overall, in the treeline areas
we skied things felt fairly benign although the light snow would be
transported by winds and form slabs fairly quickly.

Ski quality: super excellent. Cold smoke!

Mark Klassen
Mountain Guide

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Blackocmb "nearcountry"

Skied a couple of laps down Husume, a steep NW aspect which skies into
the Blackcomb glacier drainage, accessed via the Spearman Gl. As for the
ski quality, it was quit exceptional, unprecedented for this time of year.
Good goggles are a necessity as you should be expecting a face shots with
most turns.

In Immediate lee steep ridge top terrain we were able to ski cut some
small soft slabs 30cm thick. There was limited propagation with these
slabs, but, this limited volume would typically initiate sluffing in the
upper 20-30cm of new snow. This resulting loose snow sluff is capable of
entailing enough volume to knock a skier off there feet or carry a skier
over or into hazardous terrain and even burry a skier in a terrain trap.

We accessed Husume via the Spearman Glacier. Thought limited opportunity
for visual observation, it appeared the coverage on the glaciers is very
good for this time of the year. Of further note, especially in the case of
the upper Spearman Glacier is that it has become more complex over the
summer. As a result, it would be very advisable in even previously
familiar glaciated terrain to us great caution when visibility is limited.

Keith Reid, MG

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] FLavor of the month

Do to a verry late start this AM we headed into spray falls.
A popular route lately.
However conditions have changed since its condition was first posted.

This is what i found:
It was not as wet as it was earlier in the week. But more snow than on my
first visit. The colum cracked while climbing it.
At the top i decided to go and take a look above the route, to familiarize
my self a bit more.

Above there is much wind loading and lots of snow! Over 1 meter penetration
in some sections.
Significant slab formation in the main shoot coming in from climbers
left(aprox 20cm thick) observed at about 40m above the route, already enough
material to take you off the route. At the top of the shoot maybe 300m away
a nice 1.5 to 2m cornice overhangs the line.
Basically those are the facts. The snow felt good but the terrain and the
volume did not. Maybe the next major snow fall or wind event.... At the
least I would pay serious attention to minize the exposure: on the approach
and during belays.

The terrain was bigger than i had thought and despite the current Hazard
posting i would find something else to do for a while.

Patrick Delaney
ass. alpine guide

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_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] McGill Shoulder - Rogers Pass

Mark Stanley and I were up on McGill shoulder today at Rogers Pass.  Warm morning, -1 at the parking lot at 8:20am with about 12cm of new snow overnight.  Cooled off considerably and by noon it was in the –8 range.  Light northerly winds with minor transport in the areas we skied, didn’t really see too much of the high country but I’m sure it was blowing hard somewhere.  May want to watch out for that pesky reverse loading due to the N winds for the next couple of days in the Alpine and exposed features.

There was about 10cm of slightly colder snow overlying a generally well settled and well bonded snowpack up there.  The 10cm was reactive in steep wind affected micro features but nothing of consequence at all – just some cracking and sluffing.

Excellent... I mean excellent skiing.  Over the head face shots for the top 2/3 of the run – then into alders and the rain/temperature crust for the lower 1/3.  But still more than enjoyable, and the upper 2/3 was worth any minor bushwhack anyway.

Ian Tomm
Assistant Ski Guide

[MCR] Ice Routes on Cascade

Hello,

 

Climbed part of the Urs Hole today. It is in thin conditions with a bunch of open pools to try not to fall into. We turned around about 2/3 of the way up due to an unformed section with a ton of running water. All being said, it's probably worth giving this one a miss right now.

 

Looking from the road:

 

Cascade - Missing sections of ice on the upper pitches and doesn't look great

 

Rogan's - Bottom looks very thin and unappealing.

 

Rocks were still showing through the snow in the bowls above the routes this morning. However, with more snow or wind this could change quickly along with the potential for avalanches.

 

Jesse de Montigny

ACMG Assistant Alpine and Assistant Ski guide

[MCR] Ice Conditions on the Icefields Parkway, Nov 15-22

Got back from a week of ice climbing out of Rampart Creek yesterday with the Yamnuska semester program.  As noted by many there is a lot more snow in the gullies than usual this year and despite not seeing a lot of avalanche activity we stayed away from most climbs with avalanche hazard above them.  Another 15-20cm on the highway yesterday kept us headed for more benign terrain.  For those interested, here is a summary of what we climbed and saw.

 

We climbed at:

Tangle Creek (OK but still a bit thin)

Two 0'Clock Falls (good condition)

Louise Falls (climbed below the roof, pillar still needed a few days and lots of hanging ice hazard)

Elliot Left Hand (ice is great but watch for avalanches now, 2x 60m ropes are best, good trail starts 60m S of the small side road where you park)

Meltout (good)

Shades of Beauty (great condition)

Haffner Creek (still thin but coming along and very wet)

 

Cheers, Conrad Janzen

IFMGA Mountain Guide

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[MCR] Coast - Whistler NearCountry

Went into the Whistler Near country today with Keith Reid, MG and Dave Sarkany, SG. Great day of skiing. This is what might pertain to your trip out there in the next couple of days:
 
We dug a hole around lunch time and found a series of moderate test results all within the newer snow ( over a meter in the last few days). There was one that stuck out a little more than others, this moderate shear was down 55cm. It was in an interface that didn't really jump out at us visually while doing the profile.
 
We didn't see anything slide out there but skied quite conservatively. There was some cracking and propagation in isolated lee pockets in the alpine. On the bright side things were settling out really fast. Foot penetration went from 90+cms in the morning to 40cm in the late afternoon. I didn't really chat about it with the other guys a the end of the day, but I would call it CONSIDERABLE in the alpine and MODERATE at treeline.
 
Alpine temperatures hovered around -3 to -5 for most of the day, it snowed off and on, less than 10cm throughout the day. Winds were light to moderate from the SE.
 
Although there were 180cms where we dug our pit (6300ft), several areas still have rocks and trees sticking through.
 
Whistler Patrol will still have a day or two of avalanche control work to do out in the east before they open the Harmony and the new Flute Chair. Check in to be sure of the safest route out that way. Also plan on an hour in the base area to get a backcountry pass,  everyone is lining up to get their seasons' passes and edge cards.
 
On the ski down Whistler Mountain there were several unmarked hazards that the crews just haven't gotten to yet, so stay attentive until you are at the Pub.

Conny Amelunxen
Mountain Guide,
ACMG

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[MCR] Black Prince ski conditions and avalanche activity

Fine skiing for November today on the main Black Prince slopes. The November crust is still saving the day. A fairly good workout breaking trail in 20cms new snow and 30cms unconsolidated snow below that. No recent wind effect to the top of the trees. The crust still carries almost everywhere we skied up and down. With a light touch and an eye for the willows we had good turns from the top to the trail.

 

No signifigant weak layers found in several rough compression and burp tests. Several healthy sounding avalanches ran from the big slabs in the alpine somewhere on the Warspite/Black Prince ridge.

 

The weather forecast for Banff, Yoho and Kananaskis seems to point to a calm, showery weekend and the avalanche danger is forecast to decrease over the next two days in Banff, Kootenay and Yoho. However, if the weather forecast is wrong and the wind does blow up high, there just may be avalanches running fairly far and fast out of the steep alpine along the divide. I would not recommend wandering around under any big, steep, alpine terrain on skiis or crampons just yet. If you do, just remember what the Friendly Giant used to say to Rusty, "Look up. Look way up!"

 

Larry Stanier

Mountain Guide

[MCR] Suprise Pass, Nov 21

Did the classic Surprise Pass tour today (Nov 21). Total loop from Lake Louise round-trip was about 5 hours. We (Err, I mean Nick) had to break trail the whole way as there were no signs of previous travel from Saddleback Pass onwards.

 

Snow Conditions: Pits were dug just below Saddleback Pass and then at the top of Surprise Pass. Both offered the same results and similar to what Park's Avalanche Bulletin has been stating: moderate to hard compression tests failing on the thin facet layer immediately above the Nov 7 rain crust. Below the crust is pencil hard snow to the ground. The new storm snow appears to be bonding well to the wind slab from last weeks wind event. Ski pen ranged from 20cm to 35cm. Weather conditions all day were calm winds and snowing steadily at less than 1cm per hour with the temperature being -6 Celsius. Total snow depth at Saddleback Pass and Surprise Pass were both a little more than 100cm.

 

Now for the goods: knee deep powder top to bottom. The only rock hit was the first turn out of the pass. Some old avy debris was hit under the storm snow about halfway down the run but can be avoided by deeking skiers left. The rock garden just before valley bottom is not an issue since there is plenty of supportive snow.

 

Note: I have heard stories of folks, while skiing up Sheol Valley, getting suckered up the wrong gully thinking it was Surprise Pass. Be sure to go right to the end of the valley. The proper gully is much shorter and less steep than the first couple sucker gullies (which would put you somewhere undesirable on the ridge of Fairview).

 

Hard to believe this is November in the Rockies. A little wind though and it will be a different story up there.

 

Sean Isaac

AAG

 

 

[MCR] Parkers Ridge Ski and Jasper Ice Conditions

Spent the last two days at Parkers Ridge. No new avalanche activity and great
ski conditions. The snowpack has set up great, with easy trail breaking and a
nice uniform supportive mid-pack on the descent. Even the alpine offered
relatively uniform and friendly ski quality.

It was quite windy today, and conditions are changing with warm temperatures.
Reports of rain to 2300m in the Maligne Lake area, and it was raining from
Sunwapta to Jasper on the highway this evening.

Moderate slope test results down 40 cm and 70 cm on a steep lee alpine feature.

Slabs are forming, and the cornices were showing some growth over the past two
days. Mixed N and SW winds with lots of strong gusts today (reverse and cross
loading).

The Nov 7 rain crust is down about a metre (mid-pack), and was not reactive in
the slope testing.

The warm weather isn't helping the ice. The Weeping Wall is in thin and mixed
conditions (there were a couple parties there today to try Mixed Master and
some other mixed climbs). One party on the 'Stage' beside Curtain Call.
Questionable weather that is a good place to hang out with that much wind
loading happening. Another party parked for Shades of Beauty area. Everything
looks early season thin and white. Tangle Falls has lots of water flowing and
it's hard to find a spot to even ice boulder.

In short, the skiing is better than the climbing!

Jordy Shepherd
Mountain Guide

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Bulkley Valley 19 November 2006

Rain and warm temperatures started this morning at 0500. Contrary to
the public forecast, the rain was steady and became heavy at 1230. At
1240, several large avalanches released on Hudson Bay Mountain. One
size 3.5 hit the Davidson mine road again. Fortunately, it ran a bit
further south in the path and did not block the road completely. The
deposit was moist snow with some dirt in it. Another size 2.5 ran in
the so-called Diamond Face on the Kathlyn flank of Hudson Bay Mountain.

Temperatures are dropping now and most unstable snow seems to have
released. Where that is not the case, I would expect a potential for
large avalanches, even to ground. It certainly is a wild week, and
more snow is forecast.
--
Christoph Dietzfelbinger
Mountain Guide IFMGA
Bear Mountaineering and the Burnie Glacier Chalet
Box 4222 Smithers, B.C. Canada V0J 2N0
tel. 250-847-3351 fax 250-847-2854
info@bearmountaineering.ca www.bearmountaineering.ca

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Coast-Garibaldi-Paul's Ridge-061116-1300h

Just got down from a jaunt up to Paul's Ridge where I was able to link a few sweet recoveries before writing off the ski day.
 
It was -0.5 in the parking lot with about 30cm of snow on the ground. The parking lot and road was plowed while wet, then re-froze so it is a bit bumpy but straight forward with a two wheel drive and winter tires.
 
The trail up is fully covered. There is an unpredictable breakable crust most of the way up so be prepared for the return to the car. The crust becomes a little more supportive when the trees start to thin out and it easily holds a skier above the cabin. It made for challenging skinning and I wish I had brought my crampons.  I measured 95cm at the Red Heather cabin and 110cm at the top of the ridge 1550m. There was 2cm of new snow (groppel) on top of the crust at the ridge that was blowing into 15cm pockets here and there.
 
It was -3 at ridge-top, snowing a little more than a centimetre an hour with gusty winds. The skiing was challenging because there are rock hard water runnels cleverly hidden in the flat light.
 
With the forecasted snow this weekend should be quite fun up there. I would advise a cautious approach as the current conditions make for a great sliding surface for a future avalanche.
 
Cheers,
Conny Amelunxen
MG
 
 

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[MCR] Icicle Fairy (nov.15)

Climbed icicle Fairy with Pierre yesterday. The route
is in, with the ice hanging just below the last bolt
and the first pitch thick enough to get some shorter
screws in. The ice isn't hanging far enough to stem
to it though, so exiting the rock is quite physical
and felt harder than the grade. Second pitch thinner
than usual for the start, and quite wet (mushy), but
very climbable. Lots of snow out there though (knee
to sometimes thigh deep) postholing and high winds
yesterday that covered our tracks immediately. It
didn't feel overly dangerous yesterday with the
quality of the snow, but with all the winds I might
wait until the weather settles more before venturing
there.
Sarah Hueniken
Assistant Alpine Guide

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_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] close call in Golden area

Apologies if this is redundant but don't recall seeing a post on it so:

 

There was an avalanche incident on November 13 somewhere in the Golden area. A group of snowmobilers were spread out while crossing an avalanche path on a logging road at about 1310m (4300 feet) elevation. This would be below treeline so it would seem this was a slide path with start zone(s) above and a track or runout that crosses the road. The fourth person across was struck by an avalanche and partially buried. No injuries but a close call. What triggered the slide is not known and I have no other details. It's kind of old news by now but worth knowing that there's enough snow out there to make avalanches possible and it would appear they are capable of running well down into the track or runout zone in some places.

 

Things have probably not improved over the last few days since this incident. The leading edge of the latest front passed through Revelstoke around 11 a.m. PST today bringing scattered showers and strong, gusty winds to the valley bottom. If it's windy in Revelstoke, it's probably honking at upper elevations. This evening at 11 p.m. it's +4 degrees and the rain started again in earnest earlier in the evening so I suspect it's dumping a few hundred metres above town.

 

The Canadian Avalanche Centre have started issuing avalanche forecasts. Go to www.avalanche.ca if you want to read their take on things. If you're not already on their list, it's not a bad idea to sign up to have the forecasts emailed to your inbox whenever they are issued. You can do that from the bulletins page on the website.

 

Winter is here to stay. Yippee!

 

Karl Klassen
Mountain Guide
1735 Westerburg Road
Revelstoke,  BC
Canada
V0E 2S1
250-837-3733
kklassen@rctvonline.net

[MCR] Stanley Headwall, Nov 15

Went back up to Stanley Headwall today (Nov 15) to the Killer Pillar area at the end of the headwall.

 

There is a little more snow on the trail then when I was there last Friday (5 days ago) but still not enough for skis since we were frequently walking on rocks underneath.

 

My main concern is it snowed all day at an average rate of 1cm/hour; sometimes more, sometimes less but fairly steady. The slopes below Nemesis sport variable depths of snow coverage ranging from 10cm to 50cm. The wind in the valley itself was moderate with strong gusts and starting to create some soft slabs. Lots of spindrift pouring down the cliff but no avalanche activity noted, YET. I personally would not want to go up there the next couple of days due to the new snow and wind redistributing it. Nemesis has big real estate above and who knows what is going on up there.

 

Sean Isaac

Assistant Alpine Guide

[MCR] An R+D/Ranger Ck. avalanche hazard assesment

Climbed R+D today. Very dense ice, hard to penetrate and easy to get picks
stuck if you weren't hooking. There is a wide variation of snow conditions
in that bowl, but one thing is very certain. All the avalanche terrain that
effects the approach and the routes in Ranger Ck has enough snowcover to
produce signifigant avalanches with the next big weather change.

This would apply equally to Parallel Falls, the Drip at the Centre of the
Universe, possibly French Ck.and probably most routes in avalanche terrain
along the Divide in Banff and Jasper.

I felt Ok in Ranger Ck. today but would have to think long and hard before I
would go back after any snowfall, rain or big warming. It is a great early
season climbing area that often sees upwards of 50 people a week before the
snows comes. It would, however, probably be a very bad habit to climb there
regularly all winter. In questionable stability, it is a nasty place, with
180 degrees of steep avalanche terrain, LOTS of wind effect, a junkshow
snowpack and no where to hide. An awfully committing place for one pitch of
grade 3.

We carried beacons, probe and shovel on the approach and it felt like the
right thing to do in that snow covered avalanche terrain

Larry Stanier
Mountain Guide

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_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Wapta

Hi.

 

Spent 6 days in the Wapta last week.

 

The way up and down to the Bow hut is in the best condition I have ever seen at this time of year. The thaw last week has left a supportive crust covered by 20cm's - 30cm's of light snow and meant we could ski all the way out on Sunday.

 

The snow on the glacier is a different story with very thin snow bridges and crevasses in places I have not seen before. Namely, in a direct line from where you access the glacier (from the Bow hut) to the ring contour feature (MGR 346 210) aka Onion (see attached photo). These holes are quite large and difficult to see from above.

Another area I didn't expect to see big slots was about 500m SSE south of the toe of Mt Thompson (MGR 327 217 approx), a benign looking part of the glacier. Unfortunately these holes are on the same line you might use if you had to 'white out navigate' from the Peyto to the Bow hut as we did.

 

Depth of snow on the glacier varied from 80cm to 120cm. The main exception to this was on the popular ski slopes below St Nicholas where the wind has prevented much accumulation and the snow here was only 60cm thick with ice still showing through and plenty of crevasses.

 

Although the ski conditions were good great care should be taken on the glacier as the snow cover is still very thin. 

 

Cheers.

 

Steve Blagbrough. BMG.

Yamnuska Guide

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[MCR] Bulkley Valley 15 November 06

The snowfall overnight was not as heavy as forecast, but still steady
until 8 am. The Smithers ski hill reported another 30 cm and light
winds. On a checkflight at 1300 on the Kathlyn Hudson Bay Mountain, we
saw a dry size 3.5 that ran to -80 m of the # 1 switchback and across
the #7 switchback. Estimated 2-3 m deep. We could check the start
zone. Everything below 1700 m had released wall to wall. The topmost
start zone had not released and showed little wind effect, contrary to
the weather forecast. Numerous size 2 to 3.5 ran during this cycle.
Temperatures are falling right now, but the next system seems to be
winding up. I think that it's very dynamic and changing quickly out
there right now.
--
Christoph Dietzfelbinger
Mountain Guide IFMGA
Bear Mountaineering and the Burnie Glacier Chalet
Box 4222 Smithers, B.C. Canada V0J 2N0
tel. 250-847-3351 fax 250-847-2854
info@bearmountaineering.ca www.bearmountaineering.ca

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Bulkley Valley

At 1100 m on Hudson Bay Mountain, 20 cm of snow fell today at a temperature of
-2 degrees and southerly winds. Another 15 to 20 are forecast for the valley
bottom overnight. I expect large natural avalanches overnight, particularly if
the temperature rises as forecast. It was too socked in today to see anything.
Some avalanches could run to the valley bottom on the debris that filled the
paths in on 28 October.

Christoph Dietzfelbinger, Mountain Guide
Bear Mountaineering and the Burnie Glacier Chalet
Box 4222 Smithers B.C. Canada V0J 2N0
info@bearmountaineering.ca www.bearmountaineering.ca
tel. 250-847-3351 fax 250-847-2854
_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Rogers Pass Nov.9,13-07

I drove through Rogers Pass today intending to go for a tour on my home from Golden – unfortunately the road closure due to a 4 or more semi pileup on Heather Hill delayed my travels and by the time I was at Rogers Pass (snowing 1-2 cm/hour) I thought better of the plan and continued home.

 

I did go for a tour to Balu Pass on Nov.9 and at that time I managed to ski from the hotel and didn’t have to hike with my skis at all (extra caution needed where the tree cover has protected the trail from snowfall – means it could be prudent to walk in a few spots on the way down).

 

There were numerous old wet avalanches from the previous weekends rain event that had run to midway (or farther) down most of the major avalanche paths that run off Mt. Cheops above Connaught  Ck.

 

As well one avalanche (size 2.5) crossed the summer trail just after it crosses the creek to the north side of the valley (this path is known locally as “Frequent Flyer”) – the wet deposit carved a deep frozen gulley in the snow that is awkward to cross with skis on (means I took mine off).

 

The crust from the rain event was buried below 15-20cm. of new snow and at valley bottom was not fully frozen nor supportive but was not a problem on the existing uphill track that follows the summer trail – higher up the valley the crust was supportive as air temps dropped and the snow amount climbed to 25cm. (but was variable depth in wind exposed areas). The skiing was good and at that time the new snow was not sliding on the crust – however some of the snow did feel a little stiffer due to wind effect and we stayed away from steeper convex slopes for this reason.

 

Since that day the snow has continued and I would expect that there is at least 60cm. or more over the crust now and given the severity of the weather I would expect there has been significant wind above the treeline – so if you are heading out be cautious and keep the reins in check until the bond to the early Nov. Crust has a chance to adjust to this recent snow load. Tuesday should be cooler with a break in the storm but the forecast and models show a significant rise in freezing levels on Wednesday accompanying another storm front – I wouldn’t be surprised if this triggers an avalanche cycle in the backcountry.

 

Oh ya and then there is the deadly drive on the highways!

 

Keep them slippery side down (at least us old guys anyway)

 

 

Scott Davis

 

[MCR] Murchison Falls con't

To add to Patrick's excellent report, the top 15 m did have slightly less
than adequate protection (though it is easier climbing) -- bring a couple
extra long screws and be prepared to excavate deeply through the crap to the
better, though sun-rotten, stuff below. Be careful on those ice lenses,
there is a huge hole into the rushing water that crumbled into existence as
I was exiting near the top.
Tom Wolfe
AAG

-----Original Message-----
From: mcr-bounces@informalex.org [mailto:mcr-bounces@informalex.org] On
Behalf Of mcr@informalex.org
Sent: November 12, 2006 21:29
To: mcr@informalex.org
Subject: [MCR] Murchison Falls

Climbed Murchison Falls today.
The Parkway did not share its usual impressive views.
Not much visibility was had from road elevation between 9:30 and 18:00 (
late start).
The snow getting to the route was just enough to provide coverage and good
traction.
Once in the open below the route depth is variable, lots of wind activity,
snow drifts increased areas to knee depth, yet still much exposed rock.
Overall volume of snow in the lower bowl not a big issue YET but slabs are
forming.
The route can be best described as fun with adequate protection and
currently hard for its "guide book" grade with some early season hazards.
Main characteristics are ice lenses with rotten snow and ice bellow, found
on most ledges.
However, things are never desperate but remain technical until the end.
The upper left side was dripping and the route does appear ro be filling in
quickly.
During the day snow came down averaging 1 to 2 cm per hour.
At 19:00 lots of new snow on the road all the way to HWY1.

Patrick Delaney
Ass. Alpine guide

_________________________________________________________________
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_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them.
The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or
lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to
the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this
information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the
Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making
decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Murchison Falls

Climbed Murchison Falls today.
The Parkway did not share its usual impressive views.
Not much visibility was had from road elevation between 9:30 and 18:00 (
late start).
The snow getting to the route was just enough to provide coverage and good
traction.
Once in the open below the route depth is variable, lots of wind activity,
snow drifts increased areas to knee depth, yet still much exposed rock.
Overall volume of snow in the lower bowl not a big issue YET but slabs are
forming.
The route can be best described as fun with adequate protection and
currently hard for its "guide book" grade with some early season hazards.
Main characteristics are ice lenses with rotten snow and ice bellow, found
on most ledges.
However, things are never desperate but remain technical until the end.
The upper left side was dripping and the route does appear ro be filling in
quickly.
During the day snow came down averaging 1 to 2 cm per hour.
At 19:00 lots of new snow on the road all the way to HWY1.

Patrick Delaney
Ass. Alpine guide

_________________________________________________________________
Buy, Load, Play. The new Sympatico / MSN Music Store works seamlessly with
Windows Media Player. Just Click PLAY.
http://musicstore.sympatico.msn.ca/content/viewer.aspx?cid=SMS_Sept192006

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] R&D survived monsoon

R&D is still in good shape with a few short wet sections. There is a great
big pile of debris from a wet avalanche below the climb and the surrounding
snowpack has a 5cm breakable rain crust near the surface with a few cm of
new snow on it.

None of the other pure ice routes have formed in the Ranger Creek basin.

Cheers,
Marc Piché
Mountain Guide

[MCR] Mountin Conditions Summary for Nov. 9th, 2006

Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued Nov. 9th, 2006

 

The monsoon is over and we are back into fairly normal, early winter conditions in the snowpacks of the Rockies and Columbias. There was a large and widespread avalanche cycle earlier in the week throughout the Columbias and Rockies that only ended with yesterday's cooler temps. Generally, these cooler temps have helped strengthen the warm, wet and moist snow of earlier in the week and brought snow to valley bottoms in all reporting areas. The legacy of this is a raincrust at treeline and above in the Columbias and in much of the Rockies. This Nov. 7th crust will be a layer to watch closely over the coming weeks. With more moderate temperatures and extended precipitation in the forecast, stability is likely to deteriorate over the weekend in the Columbias and some areas in the Rockies. The National Parks are producing avalanche bulletins so check their information before heading out. We are still a long way from good coverage at all elevations, so ride very conservatively and watch out for all those rocks, stumps and alders. Snowbridges will still be very weak on the glaciers and all the snow in the forecast will hide them well in the coming flat light.

 

Ice and mixed climbing is still suffering from the monsoon. Realistically we are starting from scratch after all that warmth. Assume that almost all the ice is new and doesn't have much real strength for at least another cold week. It would be really nice if people would consider staying off the ice in places like Haffner Ck. and Bear Spirit till it has a chance to fatten up and gain some strength.

 

Alpine climbing. Hah, you are dreaming!

 

The Canadian Avalanche Centre's public bulletins should be in full swing on November 13th. Get on their email list at www.avalanche.ca  to keep current with conditions and the avalanche danger throughout the winter.  This will be the last formal Mountain Conditions Summary until the spring. Individual ACMG guides will continue to provide reports throughout the winter, but it has always been our intention to not duplicate the CAC's excellent services in the winter.

 

Thank you very much for listening and for all the excellent feedback we have received in this first year of weekly summaries.

 

Have a really fun and safe winter!

 

Larry Stanier

Mountain Guide  

[MCR] Maligne lake Bald Hills

Up for a ski to the Bald Hills. Up the road, then the summer trail
and down the road from the hitching rail. 5-10cm of new snow
overnight. A strong rain crust lower down supports you and though
there is only about 15cm at the parking lot the road is Ok gliding on
the crust.

There is about 40-50 cm at treeline. The new snow sits on top of the
same raincrust, about 5cm thick and supportive if you ski smoooth...
Below the crust the snow is moist, and wet right at ground. No shears
or compressions were found. Once it cools the lower pack should gain strength.
It looks different higher in the alpine where there has been quite
a bit of wind transport. Loading is evident on N aspects and there
is certainly enough snow to trigger avalanches. No avalanche
activity observed.

People have been skiing down the summer trail but I would maybe play
on the low angle slopes near treeline but take the road down.
Reasonable early season skiing by Rockies standards!
Peter Amann

Peter Amann
Mountain Guiding
Box 1495, Jasper AB, T0E 1E0
780 852 3237
www.incentre.net/pamann
pamann@incentre.net

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] more info on fatal avalanche

Following is a bit more information about yesterday's avalanche accident in the Rockies:

 

The accident occurred on a waterfall ice climb just south of the Fortress ski area. The climb lies below a large alpine bowl. An avalanche from the bowl above swept over the climb early in the afternoon of Sunday, November 5th. The leading climber was partially protected by a rock outcrop which deflected the debris around and over him--a close call. The lower climber was buried in a gully feature. The party did not have avalanche transcievers, probes, or shovels. The surviving climber followed the rope to the vicinity of his partner and dug for approximately 45 minutes with his helmet before going for help.

 

The slide occurred on an east aspect. The area above the climb was lee to westerly winds, which had been transporting snow at upper elevations early in the storm when it was colder and the snow was dryer. Poor weather and bad visibility have hampered efforts to determine exactly what happened, but a fracture line was seen in the alpine bowl above the climbers. It is suspected that a smaller avalanche from near the ridgecrest at about 2600m (perhaps a sluff) triggered a slab in the bowl, which gained mass as it descended and caught the climbers in the terrain trap below.

 

The victim was found by Kananaskis Country rescue personnel. Preliminary reports indicate the victim was deeply buried (perhaps as much as 300cm below the surface) in a terrain trap.

 

News reports indicate the victim was alive when recovered about 2 hours after the avalanche and later died in hospital.

 

It should be noted that the Kananaskis Country started issuing avalanche bulletins on November 2 and the bulletins prior to the incident identified the existence of isolated slabs above treeline and specifically warned of the hazard presented by these slabs on ice climbs.

 

You can get the Kananaskis Country avalanche bulletin at www.avalanche.ca by going to the Canadian Avalanche Centre site, then Bulletins > Current Bulletins

 

Here in Revelstoke, the heavy rainfall warning was lifted earlier today and precipitation slowed by late afternoon. 32.5mm recorded at the airport yesterday. Felt like at least 20mm today, maybe more. Warming trend continues, +9 forecast for tomorrow morning, then cooling with showery precipitation forecast for the next couple of days. Depending on how much it cools, things might freeze up--at higher elevations anyway--by Thursday.

 

Karl Klassen
Mountain Guide
1735 Westerburg Road
Revelstoke,  BC
Canada
V0E 2S1
250-837-3733
kklassen@rctvonline.net

[MCR] avalanche accident

It has been brought my attention that there has been an avalanche fatality in the Rocky Mountains. Ice climbers on a route in Kananaskis Country were struck by an avalanche yesterday. I have no details at this time.

 

In the Revelstoke area, a decent early-season snowfall has been followed by rising temperatures and rain. I'm not sure how high the freezing levels are at the moment but it looks like they are rising and it looks likely that there will be rain to mountain-top in the coming 24 hours. We've probably had 20mm in the cental Columbia Mtns last night and today and it looks like another 20 - 40mm at valley bottom elevations in the coming 24 hours. If this weather happens as forecast, there will be heavier, warmer, moister snow will overlying lighter, cooler, dryer snow--this may already be the case and if it is, it'll only get worse before it gets better.

 

I'd be concerned about the short-term avalanche danger in the coming days as temps rise and rain loads and thaws the recently fallen new snow.

 

Be careful if you go into the mountains in the coming days. Remember that what you see at the trail-head is going to be very different than what is happening above you. Especially if the weather is poor and visibility is limited, it'll be quite difficult to know what's going on at higher elevations.

 

Karl Klassen

Mountain Guide
1735 Westerburg Road
Revelstoke,  BC
Canada
V0E 2S1
250-837-3733
kklassen@rctvonline.net

[MCR] Ice conditions

Warm temperatures this weekend have resulted in fragile ice conditions on
some of the routes that did form. Keep in mind that some routes only just
formed during the cold spell a week ago. Many of these thin routes are
poorly welded to the rock. This was confirmed during an incident this
weekend when a pitch fell off while someone was trying to climb it.

An avalanche accident this weekend in K-Country involving ice climbers is a
reminder that the avalanche season has started. Do not let the sight of
extensive bare ground fool you. Gullies and basins above where some of the
early season routes have formed have windslabs in them and the wind combined
with warm temperatures is not helping stability.

It is supposed to get warmer yet. As Larry said last Thursday-Patience!

Marc Ledwidge
Mountain Guide

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.

[MCR] Rogers Pass info correction

HI I just reread my message and noted a typo that changed the meaning of what I meant considerably:

What was written was:

I could also trigger sluffs easily by pushing the soft snow with my skis on top of the crust – meaning that it is now well bonded to the crust for sure.

 

And what I meant to say was:

I could also trigger sluffs easily by pushing the soft snow with my skis on top of the crust – meaning that it is NOT well bonded to the crust for sure.

 

Hopes this makes more sense – it is still dumping in Revy.

Cheers,

 

Scott Davis

Mountain Guide

 

[MCR] Rogers Pass - Then(Nov.1/06) and Now (Nov.3/06)

I went for a hike/ski tour up the Asulkan valley on Nov.1 and here are some observations I made that day.

 

Valley bottom had progressively 10-30cm. of snow cover – the lower 2/3rds was a strong melt freeze crust and the upper 1/3^rd was fluffy powder snow.

 

The crust pretty much carried to around 2000m. (6600ft.) above which it quickly disappeared – average snowdepth at this elevation was @60cm. – the upper 25cm was again fluffy powder snow. Once I climbed above treeline the snowpack depth was highly variable due to the high winds that accompanied the earlier snowfall – I didn’t travel any higher than the elevation of the Asulkan hut (@2200m – 7200 ft.).

 

I did note a number of size 2 avalanches that had released to the glacier ice on some steep rolls on the Sapphire Col Glacier. I could also trigger sluffs easily by pushing the soft snow with my skis on top of the crust – meaning that it is now well bonded to the crust for sure.

 

As Larry mentioned in his earlier summary the skiing was nothing short of early season conditions with numerous hazards related to shallow snowpack conditions.

 

That was then – and this is NOW.

 

I am not sure what Rogers Pass has received as of this time but there is approximately 30cm. of heavy snow in the Revelstoke townsite that has fallen overnight – so if you are thinking of going skiing this weekend (that would be the guy on your shoulder with the devils horns speaking to you) – think again – the precipitation is expected to continue throughout the weekend and into Monday with climbing freezing levels – given what I saw the other day I am sure that anything that is worth skiing would be quite unstable with this additional heavy snowload – so listen to that other little guy on your shoulder (the one with the halo) and give the weekend a miss.

 

Best of the coming ski season to you,

Cheers,

 

Scott Davis

Mountain Guide

 

 

[MCR] Mountain Conditions Summary for Nov. 2nd, 2006

Mountain Conditions Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued Nov. 2nd, 2006

 

We are firmly settled into the early winter doldrums. A fairly big storm on the weekend brought around 30cms of snow to treeline in many areas with some strong west winds. The wind also blew on sunday/ monday as we transitioned into clear, cold and calm for the last couple of days across the ranges.

 

There is approximately 30cms of recent snow in the Columbia Icefields and Jasper east slope areas. This has been quite wind affected so expect more in gullies and lee features. Strong west winds have built up some fresh, big cornices. Bow Summit has 50cms of unconsolidated snow and you are still skiing on the ground. Conditions are similiar around Lake Louise. The best skiing in the Rockies is undoubtably the fresh trackset on the Moraine Lake road.

 

Rogers Pass reports 50cms of snow at 1900m at Fidelity(west side of the pass). 5-10cms of light snow at the road. This means any skiing around there will involve a long approach on foot on the lightly snow ocvered trails to some poorly covered rocks and logs at treeline. Don't even think about travelling through the alders. Glacier Park should soon be putting out its first avalanche bulletin of the season.  

 

The best downhill ski conditions are probably on the glaciers in the interior but the wind has been at it. The snow bridges there and in the Rockies are probably thin and weak and cleverly disguised by the recent low density snow.

 

There is some hope for ice climbers and skiers. A few hardy souls have been getting on the thin ice on the east slopes of the Rockies and the thin snow on the west slope of the Columbias.There are probably some good turns and good pitches to be had. However, keep two things in mind. You will probably be working really hard on the approaches and, most importantly, you REALLY don't want to fall on thin ice or thin snow!

 

High north facing ice routes are the only realistic hope. The usual early season suspects such as R+D and Amadeus have been climbed. Bow Falls, the Weeping Wall, Shades of Beauty and a few other high flow routes are probably close but wet. Field is still just wet. Check www.gravsports.com for more details. I would also really like to encourage ice climbers to leave a note on their car as to their destination, especially in parking lots that access several routes. Paper under the wipers or scratch it in the rear window dirt. It allows for better decision making by the late sleepers and is just plain polite. 

 

The weather forecast has been changing frequently in the last few days. The latest forecasts for the Rockies and interior point to a grey and slightly warmer weekend. Rain at low elevations and snow up high on the already thin and weak snowpack would be nothing but bad news in the short term. Either stand in line for a thin ice route or ski REALLY carefully. Patience, grasshopper! It is never worth getting hurt for bad skiing or bad climbing.

 

Larry Stanier

Mountain Guide