ROUTE: We did the standard Yoho Traverse as described by Chic Scott with a
side trip yesterday circumnavigating Whaleback (over Isolated Col, back
via Whaleback's SE gully) with a detour onto the glades on Yoho Peak. This
is a worthwhile diversion with some excellent skiing.
WEATHER: cool with limited visibility and slow but steady snowfall
throughout our trip. Lows around -15, highs around -5.
SNOWPACK: This little corner of Yoho has been blessed with up to 60 cm (25
cm just in the last 24 hrs) of low density storm snow on top of the old
surfaces (those crusts we were beginning to really despise over the past
couple of weeks). The storm snow is bonding well to the old surfaces, and
sloughing even on steep terrain is pretty reasonable considering the sheer
volume and density of the storm snow.
The storm snow has come in slow but steady snow showers. Up until we left
today the winds were calm with the exception of some short gusts on
Saturday afternoon. No wind effect was noted anywhere during our trip.
Superb ski quality throughout our entire trip, especially yesterday and
today. As we left Field this afternoon there was a definite Yoho Blow
happening, but I'm not sure what this might be doing up high. Even short
periods of moderate winds will push a lot of that storm snow around
quickly.
COVERAGE: On the ice itself the snowpack is typically about 250 cm.
Wind-scoured areas such as near the Rhonda-Gordon col are showing bare ice
and exposed and thinly bridged crevasses. South facing aspects and exposed
areas (e.g. the steep slope getting onto Des Poilus and the moraines below
Des Poilus glacier) are also very thin and facetted (e.g. snowpack depths
of <75 cm).
Regards,
Tom Wolfe
AAG
_______________________________________________
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