with moderate SW winds and a few "exquisite" sunny breaks in the
afternoon. The skiing in the upper alpine was quite wind affected and not
particularly great. As you approach tree line the surface conditions
improved along with the skiing.
Safe to say that we skied conservative lines and tip-toed our way around.
As reported by many the upper snowpack is quite interesting if not a
little unusual for the Coastal region. 15cm of low density (F) new snow
over a 15cm (4F) slab over 10cm of cold low density (F-) facets all
resting on the December 6th crust. Though this "sandwich" made for
descent skiing it also made for very challenging uptracks as skies
continually collapse through to the December crust.
We experienced regular whumping especially in thin rocky areas and any
area peppered with small trees. Though there have been numerous reports
of Skier accidental and remotely triggered avalanches we were unable to
ski cut any features and saw little natural avalanche activity.
Whistler/Blackcomb did produce numerous size 1-2 avalanches from ski
cutting on specific terrain features and from explosive control work
With forecasted precipitation and wind for the remainder of the week I
would expect the load and slab properties in the upper snowpack to
dramatically increase along with the hazard level. It is very likely that
the facet layer overlaying the December crust may be with us for a very
long time.
Keith Reid
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
Whistler BC
keith@reid.bc.ca
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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.
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