[MCR] West Central Monashees

Finishing off a week in the west central Monashees, near Tsuius Mountain west of Vernon.

Only 2 avalanches noted, both mid-week on steep lee east aspects, alpine/treeline elevations, windslabs about 25 cm deep. 1- size 1.5, 1 - size 2. 

The October crust is about 100 cm down, its characteristics vary depending on elevation but in shallower areas there are some facets around it and we've been having occasional hard, sudden shears on the crust/facets with compression tests. Another shear 25-40 cm down in recent storm snow is what gave us our 2 avalanches this week. This shear is getting more resistant in character and has not been reactive to skis. There is a surface hoar layer down about 20 cm, buried November 28, but it has been unreactive.

We've been avoiding steep wind affected areas but otherwise have been using all terrain features.

Schroeder/Bender/M Klassen

ACMG Guides

[MCR] South Cariboos Trophy Range

South Cariboos Trophy Range

SNOWPACK DISTRIBUTION AND COVERAGE
The snowpack in this local area starts in earnest at 1100m with an
average of 2.0 meters of snow at treeline elevations. The wind
generated from the strong south/west flow for the past few weeks has
widely affected snowpack distribution in the alpine and in windward
treeline areas.
This means that shallow areas will exist in the alpine and exposed
treeline terrain that can harbour weak points in the snowpack and...
you will be more likely to hit rocks. Over the weekend a rise in air
temperatures and strong winds has organized last weeks new
unconsolidated snow into a soft slab and in some areas a hard slab at
ridgelines and in the alpine. The snowpack shows consistently
increasing hardness with depth. A test profile at 1950m, 175cm
snowpack depth, N aspect, 32 degrees, produced a sudden easy shear at
32cm below the surface. The late Oct/early Nov crust was found 75cm
from the ground and this layer did not produce any results in
snowpack strength tests. No other shears were found in the snowpack
at this site.
Cornices are becoming very well developed.

AVALANCHE ACTIVITY
There was a widespread natural avalanche cycle up to size 2.0 on
northerly aspects starting on Saturday (09-11-28)afternoon. The
majority of the start zones were in steep skiable terrain below
ridges, fracture depth was around 30cm, with crown lines extending
throughout entire bowls. These loose avalanches ran almost to full
path and it suspected that the failure plane was a slightly firmer
layer (not crust). Travel on slopes greater than 30 degrees produced
cracking and fracturing of this layer (yesterday) with some
propagation and release on steep unsupported features.

SKI/SLED QUALITY
The best snow quality was found on direct E aspects at treeline and
below. Ski penetration varied from 10cm at treeline to 25cm below
treeline. There was a very thin drizzle crust on S and SW aspects but
strangely it did not exist on east aspects.

Dana Foster-Ludwig
SG

_______________________________________________
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] Flute East Side

Hi,

Went to Oboe Creek (E side of Flute) today with an AST course. We skied very heavy, sticky, snow from the top of Flute down.

Saw some pinwheeling but no actual naturals avalanches (it looked like the AM explosives control on Flute brought down a few Size 1-2 avalanches). I could not get any results ski cutting.

 

A pit at 1800m NE aspect on Flute gave an height of snow of 320cm.

We dug down 150cm and found:  Surface was 1cm of wet grains.

Below that was 50cm of Fist - 4Finger density snow on top of the November 25 crust, which is 5cm thick here.

Under the  Nov 25^th  crust is a consolidating pack of 1Finger to Pencil Plus density well rounded small crystals. The coldest temp in this warm pack was -1.5,  about 1m down from the surface. Air temp then (2pm) was 1.0c .

We got an Easy Compression Test 20 cm down and a Moderate Compression test just below the Nov 25^th Crust. Both where clean fractures.

 

A warm and moist, but chilly, day of skiing almost slush.

 

Dave Sarkany

SG

[MCR] Monashee Mountains, West of the Perry River, North of Anstey Pk.

First look around this area for the Mustang Powder guides this winter. LOTS of snow on the ground above 1500m. 235cms of snow at 1700m lodge site. Almost no snow on the Perry River Rd. at km 21.

Numerous profiles today showed no significant weaknesses except a shear 37cm below the surface. This probably/hopefully won't persist for long as it is a new snow instability in a very warm snowpack. No spooky results on the tests as there was no slab above the weak layer until------ we found a steep roll in a gully where a loose snow slough had possibly added some weight to the surface snow and the layer failed as a slab. Skier accidental size 1.5 that ran surprisingly far and fast and could easily have wrapped someone around a tree.

Good skiing and fair travel. Yesterdays warmth and rain doesn't seem to have done much damage here.

Still low confidence travel for us. We have only sampled a few places and a LOT of snow has fallen in a relatively short time.

Larry Stanier
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

[MCR] Snow height on Blackcomb Gl

Forgot this from last post: Hs on the Blackcomb Gl is 240 mid gl. Not to bad....

Email on the go, sent by TELUS
_______________________________________________
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] Real time Blackcomb nearly backcountry

Hi,
Dale M, TK and I skined from the Horstman Gl (access is from the top of Seventh Heaven Chair) up to the Blackcomb Glacier and are doing laps there.
The average Ski Pen is 10-40 lots of wind distribution last night. Sometime we could feel the crusst left by yesterdays rain.
Foot Pen is 30-50 cm.

The patrol's explosive control left a few small crown lines (up to 30m across and up to 40cm deep)

We dug a test pit at 6780' on the Blackcomb Glacier. 1230pm

There is approx 20cm on the Nov 26 crust (which is moist and pencil hard and 5-10 cm thick) below that the snow is 1 Finger minus - Pencil hard down to 1 meter down.
We got a moderate compression test at 38cm down on 1-2mm decomposing fragments (clean fracture).
And another Moderate to Hard Compression Test down 67 cm 1mm decomposing fragments (clean fracture).

Now its back to Skiing.

Dave Sarkany.
SG

Email on the go, sent by TELUS

[MCR] Murchison Falls

Climbed Murchison Falls today. A warm day, -4 at Rampart Creek hostel at 5am. The climb is in good shape, with many options for lines of ascent. A few wet spots and drips throughout, but the top pitch was dry, no water spray coming from the climbers left. The direct line on the top pitch went at WI 5+, but a more sneaky line could be climbed closer to the guidebook grade. There is a cornice threatening the lower climber's right side of the falls.

There is quite a bit of snow about, and the winds have formed soft and hard slabs in the valley and on the snow slope leading up to the base of the main falls, definitely enough snow, and enough wind effect to make slab avalanches a concern.

There was light rain at Saskatchewan River Crossing this evening, which turned to snow at around 2000m on the drive home.

Jason Billing
ACMG Assistant 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] Anorexia Nervosa, The Ghost (Nov 25)

It was chinookin' hard in the Ghost today (Nov 25) with the
temperature hitting 9 C at 3pm. The approach up Planters Valley was
snow free making for slightly less awkward stumbling through the talus
and scree. Nice soft ice on Anorexia Nervosa--almost too soft in
places for trust-worthy ice screws. The first pitch takes 13 and 16cm
screws but thins to less than an inch at the bulge for a move or two.
Weathering Heights looks like it is hurting from the warm temps. We
didn't go right up to it, but lots of wet rock on either side makes me
suspect it could be delaminating a bit.

Sean Isaac
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] The Playground

No snow at all at the playground. Completely dry, dry tooling. The first hanger is missing from the Mountaineer's Route (farthest left hand route), the nut is on the stud. We stick clipped the first bolt on the next route to the right (there is a long stick clip up there).

Happy trails

Barry Blanchard

Mountain Guide

www.barryblanchard.ca

[MCR] Ghost Ice: This House of Skies

Hi Everyone:

Very  pleasant day on THOS yesterday with temps between 0 and -3 C. The route is generally in good shape at WI 2-3 until one reaches the large alpine basin, where the drainage opens up (see attached photo). For those who continue higher up, the crux is a short step of 15 meters (see attached rapelling shot) which was about  WI4, but good screws are hard to get. If you climb all the way to ridge line beyond the last technical 30 meters of fat ice, watch out for the wind slabs sitting on basal facets (i.e. re-crystalized snow right on the rocks). On your way to the ridge line, you’ll also encounter a short, lower angle mixed section that can be challenging to down climb (no rap anchors).

 

I’ve also attached a shot of GBU, which is still looking a bit thinish, but good enough for a couple of lines to be climbed. Bring tall rubber boots or a high clearance SUV to cross the creek from the regular parking spot.

 

Generally speaking, the road is in the best shape I’ve ever seen it, namely the big hill and crossing the following dry riverbed.

 

Enjoy!

 

Jorg Wilz

Mountain Guide (ACMG / IFMGA)

OnTop ltd.

www.ontopmountaineering.com

 

[MCR] West-central Monashees

We've been in the Monashees the past few days, near Tsuius Mountain.

No evidence of recent avalanche activity with good visibility yesterday.

There is 120 cm of snow at lodge level (1600 m). At treeline and in the alpine there is more variability but it averages about 150 cm. Upper treeline and alpine areas show a fair amount of wind effect.

Soft surface layers give way to a strong mid- and lower pack. The lower half of the pack contains a variety of melt-freeze crusts, exactly how many and their characteristics depend on the elevation. There is a thicker melt-freeze crust on the ground that shows some facetting. Four profiles so far have not produced significant shears but we have not been above 2000m.

Good skiing but a rime crust down 10cm hurt my shins! Warm weather forecast may change that.

Bender/Schroeder/Klassen

ACMG guides of various types

[MCR] Melt Out

Climbed Melt Out today, Nov 23. It's a properly formed ice climb with full length screws the whole way. Double ring bolt anchors on climber's left side on top of the first two pitches. Some small pools of water exposed on the approach and last pitch, easily stepped around. Very little snow in the valley bottom there, 5-10 cms.

Happy trails

Barry Blanchard

Mountain Guide

www.barryblanchard.ca

[MCR] Balu Pass Area- Bruins Ridge - 8812

Cooler day with no winds, Snowing <1cm per hour all day. A rather pleasant day. The snow off the up and down track had a nice bouncy feel to it but still pretty unconsolidated overall. We crossed the exposed bit getting on to Bruins Ridge one at a time and I kept an eye on the steep sidewalls of 8812 bowl on the skiers left. Great skiing with surprisingly little wind or temperature effect. 

Quick profile on approach to Bruins Ridge at 2030m on an South East aspect:

Air Temp: -8, Winds Calm, Snowing <1cm per hour. Snowdepth 160-180cm 

Foot Pen around 150cm! and Ski Pen around 30cm

Progressive increase in resistance down through the snowpack from low density fist snow on top to firmer 1 Finger to Pencil near the bottom. No crust observable anywhere in the snowpack.  Found a slab buried around 35cm down, about 15cm thick. The resistance above and below this 1F+ slab is 4F-F. This slab produced a Sudden Planar shear both above and below it with a Hard Compression Test. No facets or surface hoar found here.

No new avalanches observed in the Connaught Valley. The north face of Cheops has been avalanching frequently. The avalanche path notable for the  Tweedsmuir Incident had run to Size 2.5 filling the creek at the bottom sometime in the last 72 hours and looked like the most recent avalanche in the valley.

Ok thats all for now, gotta go.

Anna Brown

Ski Guide

[MCR] Boulder Mountain, Monashee Mountains near Revelstoke

The ski quality was excellent on Boulder Mountain today, located just west of Revelstoke.  It is a popular snowmobiling destination, and offers quick and easy access for skiers and boards who have a snowmobile. 

 

At 2000m there is currently 230cm of settled snowpack.  There are a couple recent storm layers down 30 cm and 55 cm, both giving moderate to hard resistant planar shears (clean but not fast).  The layer down 55cm has a decomposing crust at 2000m on north aspect. 

 

In exposed areas there is a touch of wind effect with a stiffer surface layer over a softer storm snow layer.  I noted a bit of minor cracking, but no whumphing and no natural or rider triggered avalanches aside from a few 12-24 hr old very thin (10 cm) slabs only seen on very steep small rolls below treeline on a north aspect.  Visibility was not great for most of the day, so observations were limited. 

 

Conditions are excellent, offering mid-winter ski quality and good coverage over most hazards.  Even the alder lower in the valley looks to be getting nicely covered up.  There is basically no snow at valley bottom due to the warm temperatures and recent rain down low.  But up high, it has been dumping steadily for the last couple of weeks.  Get out there and enjoy the great early season conditions! 

 

Normal early season hazards do exist, so check your speed.  Continue to watch for rising avalanche danger, with all of the rapid loading it is possible for some significant avalanche events to occur.  Remember the connectivity between lee alpine loaded features and the still shrubby lower elevations.

 

Jordy Shepherd

Mountain Guide

www.peakalpine.com

 

[MCR] Whistler Area Frontcountry 091121

Many smiles Saturday in the Whistler area as early morning visibility seemed to draw more people into the higher regions of the local mountains.

Toured to 2200m Saturday and, similar to Dale, found that uphill tracksetting conditions are improving, especially on the flatter terrain. Temperatures remained cool at TL and ALP throughout the day at -8C. Winds remained light, even at ridgetops.

We did encounter a moderate “pop” in hand tests at 2100m on north-facing windloaded slopes. The blocks failed on a planar surface at a sudden resistance change (from F over top to 1F beneath) generally around 40cm down. The 1F layer was about 15cm thick and then a 4F layer extended beneath that. This upper layer also reacted to ski cutting, but did not step down in any observations.

We also found a more resistant and less-planar release at the bottom of this 1F layer, usually about 55cm down from the surface. Unofficial “pole” penetration tests were able to penetrate the snowpack to 165cm (basket side down!). We stayed on supported features in the lee of ridgelines on these aspects. Little confidence in the bigger stuff.

We also skied southerly aspects from 1900 (TL) down. Evidence on the tree trunks showed most windblown snow during the last storm had come in from WNW so these slopes were well-protected and very fluffy. Expected tree well issues did not seem to be a problem, so skiing was very good. We did not encounter any weak layers in the top metre of this exposure during the day.

We did not play on big terrain. Settlement cracks are evident around rock features, some of them over 40cm vertical displacement, so the pack is clearly settling. Some good settlement cones around smaller trees BTL as well.

M. Sulkers

ACMG Hiking/Backpacking/Wilderness Guide; CAA Professional Member

 

[MCR] Asulkan Valley

Skied up the Asulkan valley today. Conditions at parking lot: 0 deg. with 8 cms moist new snow on thin crust from yesterday. Crust disappeared a short way up. We were first up the drainage since last weekend. Trailbreaking was shared by a few keen hut renters. Ski pen/trailbreaking was moderate to heavy with 20 cms halfway up,  boottop to knee deep above Mousetrap. Temp -3 at 1600M. Snowpack depth just above Mousetrap: 175cms.  Good two meter snowpack in Tree Triangle. Temp  -7 at Asulkan Hut.

 

Sky was mostly overcast with minor breaks, snowing off and on all day, up to 2cm/hr in PM. Some fog and poor vis.  Light to Moderate winds in afternoon. A brief opening at Hut allowed us to see up toward Asulkan Pass. Alpine showed extremely variable distribution of last weeks snow due to the  high winds, with some ridges and high spots blown clean to gravel, and lees and hollows very deep. There was buried slab on ridge just below hut, an indicator of slab conditions in the alpine.

 

Limited observations showed no sign of avalanches from last week or currently. At treeline, the upper half of snowpack was mostly unconsolidated, lower half dense. Ski conditions were good, a bit more moist than normal. Didn't do a profile, but ski cuts, hand shears and pole tests indicated reasonable stability in the sheltered location of the treed glades, no significant issues. I suspect different in the alpine. Quite a coastal feel to the snowpack for November. About 50 cms more snow than usual at 1800M for early season.

 

Russell Lybarger SG.

[MCR] Frontcountry region ~ Whistler

Hope this finds Everyone enjoying this excellent early-season snow.
 
Backcountry travel conditions have improved over the past couple of days. The active weather that provided us with all this great snow of late, has moved east so snowfall amounts currently have eased. Along with the relatively warmer temperatures yesterday the snowpack has begun to settle a little more.
 
The settling snowpack became evident while tracksetting today. The skis floated more on lower-angle terrain while tracksetting uphill, but began to sink rapidly (most notably at below-treeline elevations) when small, steeper features were encountered. At times, skis the width of dinner-trays would have been lovely to keep my show afloat. Today's travel, though, was much faster than the past few days.
 
Probing and looking into the snow at treeline elevations (around 6200' or 1900m) showed up to 230cm of the 'white-stuff' in places. Testing of the upper snowpack on a northerly slope revealed one result 62cm below the surface. The result occured within an older layer of snow that fell during one of the latest snowfalls. It didn't 'pop' out; it was more 'sluggish' but it was a clean fracture. Perhaps something to keep in mind, for the short-term, until its strength increases. It made me think that wide and lengthy, bulging slopes were still places of suspicion.
 
The tree skiing was excellent and the snow was dry. The winds were light and it was simply a beautiful day to be in the hills.....
 
Wishing Everyone safe and fun travels,
Dale Marcoux
ACMG Asst. Ski Guide
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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[MCR] Rogers pass November 20

Went out for a somewhat soggy day in the pass yesterday. Temps were fairly warm but remained steadty all day. +1 at the parking area 1360m and as cold as -2 at treeline around 2100m. Heavy trailbreaking at lower elevations with around 30cm ski penetration. There has been lots of wind at Treeline and above. This combined with warm temps has formed soft slabs in open areas and at and below ridgelines.

Tests today showed a Sudden collapse down about 35cms, which failed at the low end of moderate. In areas with wind affect, this is overlyed by a soft slab which is potentially skier triggerable.

 

We stuck to smaller terrain features at treeline and below, which were sheltered from the wind, and found excellent ski quality.

 

The total snowpack is increasing rapidly and we found around 180cms at treeline. The warm temps are promoting settlement and a cooling trend should improve the overall travel and ski quality.

 

All in all right now it is important to stick to smaller terrain features and carefully considering your route selection to avoid exposing yourself to overhead hazard. Many new cornices were observed looming over North and east aspects at ridgeline. Also of note several of the big paths on Mt.MacDonald as well as Frequent flyer in Connaught creek have run full path, reminding us that the snow has now accumulated to a depth that is adequate to produce large scale avalanches.

 

Have fun out there

 

Jeff Relph
ACMG Mountain Guide

[MCR] Monashee Mountains - The Gorge - Nov 20/09

a relaxing day putting in a short circuit up above the 15km parking lot.

temps were warm, with a high of +2 @ the parking lot at 10:30am & a low of -2 @1900m around 1:00pm

light precip thru the day which thankfully stayed in snow form!  wind varied from light to strong & was quickly redistributing the new snow at ridgetop & in open areas below treeline.  ski pen was 10-15cm.  the Nov 15 crust was buried with up to 30cm of new snow on top and present on the surface in isolated areas in the open.  it is supporting a skier weight when buried and breakable when on the surface.

a couple of hand shear tests had variable results from a moderate pull with a clean shear on the crust to self sliding (no pulling!) when cutting it with a ski pole.  the snow above the crust was only 4 fingers in resistance, so was acting as a very soft slab (VSL) in the areas we traveled.

we had no cracking or settlements, nor did we observe any natural avalanches

as the load changes above the crust, either through more precip or wind loading, i fully expect that the slab will become stiffer & more reactive.

i encourage all to keep a heads up & have fun out there - such a great start to the season.  if you have more information, especially for the more 'local' places like the Gorge, i invite you to post at the CAC discussion forums.  i feel kinda lonely over there & am curious to read what others have to say.

thanks!

dave healey / asg

[MCR] Hydrophobia Approach, Rocky Mtn. Front Ranges, AB

The Waiparous Valley road approach to hydrophobia is in currently workable, but deteriorating shape, with supportive ice (22+cm thick) on the creek crossing and well compressed ruts (passable only in a high clearance vehicle) on the hill leading to the bog.

That being said, temperatures were well above freezing for the past 24 hrs (6degC @ 5pm today in the bog) and this is softening up all of the frozen and semi frozen areas-- including the creek crossing. We managed to punch through a semifrozen permafrost "skin" about 1/2 way across the bog this morning and spent the next 5 hours digging, chaining, jacking, levering, and pulley'ing our vehicle before eventually giving up and walking out to the forestry trunk road where we were rescued by a friend who had driven out with another truck. Even with the large second vehicle and chains on the first, the stuck truck was only extracted with a considerable "running start."

So, I would recommend giving the Waiparous approach a miss until it has had a solid spell of well below freezing weather (and no new snow, either). I think the Waiparous is probably best approached with two or more vehicles-- we didn't do that today and ended up with a 14 hour day of no-climbing, rather than an extra hour of truck un-sticking on top of climbing.

Of note for those in the area: Single to no-bar service can be had from the bog on Telus and Bell (enough for texts but not for calls) and good service can be had from the hill directly to the north of the Waiparous Valley Rd / SR 940 junction.

Josh Briggs
Asst. 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] Tryst/Commonwealth

Spent the afternoon in the Tryst/Commonwealth area.

Temperatures were around -5C, it was snowing ~1cm /hr, and we had
light to moderate winds from SW. 30cm low density storm snow in
sheltered areas. In open areas at treeline and in the alpine strong+
winds have scoured the snow on windward aspects to the ground.

We dug a pit in a sheltered area (North aspect) at treeline and found
a well settled snowpack 120cm deep, from fist minus density on top to
1 finger plus at the bottom, with some moistness in the snow at the
very bottom. Compression Tests yielded no result. I found no
significant layers apart from the basal interface with the ground.

Due to the high winds and large amount of new snow, I suspect High
avalanche hazard in Alpine, Considerable (or worse) at Treeline,
Moderate Below Treeline (caution in open/wind exposed areas). No
natural avalanches were observed or heard, but our observations were
limited due to poor visibility.

We skied **sheltered, below treeline** north and south aspects with
consistent quality.

Regards,
Tom Wolfe
_______________________________________________
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] Selkirk Mountains - Rogers Pass - Connaught Ck. Ursus Minor area Nov.18/09

This is from yesterday (Nov.18/09) but I didn’t get a chance to send it out last night.

 

Just a quick update since the last warm/windy weather event of Monday and Tuesday (Nov.16/17).

 

Fortunately the rain from Tuesday morning didn’t climb too high so the thin breakable crust that formed petered out once you had passed the Frequent Flyer slide path just after the bridge. By the way this path did run and cross the trail sometime Monday or early Tuesday AM (a friend let me know that it was already down when they went up on Tuesday).

 

The biggest thing of note is that this last system was accompanied by high winds so I would expect there are some significant depositions on lee features especially in the alpine terrain.

 

We stuck to treeline and lower terrain on Wednesday and found approximately 15-20cms. of low density snow had fallen since Tuesday PM – this was sitting on a somewhat stiffer 20cm. thick layer (four fingers resistance) that had formed during the warming and wind of Tuesday – below that it was a little softer but still in the 4 finger range and about another 25cms thick – so I would estimate that they had received around 40-50 cms of storm snow plus wind transport.

 

We did note a shear in the top 15-20 and I managed to intentionally ski cut this weakness in one confined gully – and it didn’t go as a loose snow sluff but instead propagated as a thin slab and cleaned out the chute running quite fast at the bottom – though it wasn’t a deep deposit it would have been a rude thing to hit you from behind if you were to have just skied into it “willy nilly”.

 

Wednesday was much cooler than the previous 2 days with snowshowers accompanied by moderate to strong North West winds that calmed down later in the day.

 

I didn’t get out today, but I can tell you that the next system hit here Wednesday evening and it hasn’t stopped precipitating since with the snowline just a few hundred feet above town (saves me doing all that shoveling) – I would hazard a guess at another 20-30cms of snow over the last 24hrs.

 

I guess I would echo Dale Marcoux words from the coast – in that I feel that this snowpack needs a little time to settle all this new load – unfortunately (or fortunately) it looks as though the snow is going to keep on coming – so be real out there and balance the yahoo fun with prudent route finding and safety measures (you know one at a time and don’t hang out below your buddy taking videos – all that  stuff) – the skiing is great  so enjoy it – for a LONG TIME!

 

Cheers,

 

Scott Davis

ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

 

[MCR] Little Simpsons Gulch, Hudson Bay Range, Smithers

Went for a loop tour around the top of Little Simpsons, and skiing treed glades into the basin along the skiiers L shoulder.( a wee thrash at times!)Exited out the old mine road. 20cm of new from last night, and 20cm from Sunday has been transported by mod SW winds, and loaded any exposed areas around treeline. Isolated cracking and some whumpfing in the storm snow, and likely deeper on a surface hoar layer found near treeline. The Oct crust is now down @ 70cm, and would be a concern in unsupported features and shallow areas. This Crust was giving hard results, but showing a sudden planar(pop) fracture character on Tuesday. Saw a few slabs to size 1, in the storm snow, in steep, unsupported features. Excellent ski quality in sheltered areas. Temps in the -5 range. with light Sw winds, and clearing sky in the PM.
Cheers;

Sean Fraser
ACMG Ski Guide

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[MCR] Bow Summit

Excellent powder skiing at Bow Summit today. Remarkably well settled
100cm snowpack with a 10cm basal layer of facets/depth hoar. Looks
like about 30cm of storm snow with little wind effect on the top 15
cm. Temps were below freezing and overcast most of the day with light
S winds. No whoomfing or cracking even on steep rolls. We still were
cautious and I would suspect Considerable avalanche hazard at treeline
and above, moderate below treeline but very limited observations. No
natural avalanche activity observed in the area, but the light was
mostly flat.

Regards,
Tom Wolfe
AAG/ASG
_______________________________________________
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] Whistler Nearcountry.....

I hope this finds Everyone keeping well and having a good start to the season.
 
There's been a lot of wind during these past few days with some high alpine gusts, during the initial onslaught of this storm, recorded at 150km/hr. Snowfall has been steadily accumulating, as well, and many natural terrain anchors (boulders, stumps, etc.) are quickly being buried, which potentially means that avalanches can run more freely over previously rougher terrain and for longer distances. It's winter up there and it feels more like late-December.
 
Windslabs have continuously been building in traditional lee terrain (the northerly quadrants) in open treeline and alpine locations. Steeper terrain in these zones would seem primed for destructive slab avalanches.
 
A look into the snow at 5200' (below-treeline location) in an open, meadow-like area, that has not seen any traffic so far this year nor 'much' wind-affect, showed 160cm on the ground! Testing of the snow there revealed some weaknesses in the layering (specifically, all of this recent storm snow) both 25cm and 44cm below the snow surface. The way these layers reacted tells me that they're 'maturing' and trending toward building strength. My guess is that similar layers, though, lurking higher up in that steep, open treeline and alpine terrain currently have the potential to react more wildly.
 
It's a good time to be prudent about what kind of terrain you are skiing and what kind of terrain is hanging up above you. Cloud cover and terrain features can hide that 'hanging' terrain, so consider your routes carefully.
 
Tracksetting is a good workout right now and having ski-poles with larger baskets can help keep you floatin' (instead of sinkin') a bit more.
 
The snowpack could use a bit of time 'off' to 'cure' and gain more strength, but it looks like - at least at the time of this writing, and for a while yet, that more snow and further strong winds have settled back into the hills......
 
Wishing Everyone a safe start to the season ahead,
Dale Marcoux
ACMG Assistant Ski Guide

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[MCR] Avalanche near Revelstoke

Revelstoke SAR was called to assist at an avalanche on Frisby ridge in the Monashees N. of Revelstoke on Nov. 17^th, 2009-11-18

 

Details are still a bit sketchy, but here is what we know.

 

The slide occurred on a wind loaded, N. facing slope at 1800 M.    4 sledders were “high marking”. At around 3:30 pm when they triggered what they said were 3 distinct avalanches.  Perhaps the first slide stepped down and released something from earlier in the year,..?

All 4 were caught and carried, with 2 partial burials, (up to their waist) and two complete burials.  Of the 2 complete burials, both were located by beacons, one pinned between his sled and a tree stump, sustaining serious bruising to his lower leg.  The other was recovered blue, unconscious, and not breathing.  His team mates continued to dig him out, clearing snow from his face and mouth and he spontaneously began to breathe.

 

The group contacted BCAS by sat phone, but quickly lost their battery power.  Revelstoke SAR received the call from the RCMP and initiated a team of 4 on sleds to find and assist, having been given GPS co-ordinates from the party.

 

Somehow our team crossed paths with them in the dark without finding them, and the distressed party made their way back to the Frisby parking lot around 9:pm,..all 4 of them on 1 sled!!

 

Revelstoke SAR attempted to get to the site today, Nov 18^th to assist in recovering the 3 buried sleds, as well as take pictures of the site and perhaps do a fracture line profile.  Unfortunately the weather did not permit this.  All members of the distressed party were well equipped with shovels, probes, emergency gear.  A lucky outcome for this party

 

Buck Corrigan, ACMG

[MCR] Selkirk Mountains-Rogers Pass-Asulkan ValleyNov.15-16/2009

Ventured to the Asulkan Hut for a windy Sunday night.
 
Temps where at a steady -4 to -6 most of Sunday. Surface conditions remained dry, fist snow in sheltered areas.   By Sunday afternoon the Moderate to Strong winds had scoured surfaces and formed slab in open areas.  Upside down (dense over soft snow), breakable hard and soft slab.
 
Strong to Extreme winds howled all night and well into this morning, -1 at the Asulkan Hut.  Winds gusting well below Treeline, continued snow transport filling in tracks with moist snow up to 20cm and counting. 
 
No Naturals or skier triggered avalanche activity observed, made an early exit while the weather raged on.
 
Many tree bombs(large snowballs that accumulate on tree branches) scattered along the valley ski out.  A coastal +0.5 and wet snow falling at 1cm./hour at the parking lot.
 
Fells like anything and everything could happen.
 
Merrie-Beth Board
ASG/ARG

 

 

[MCR] Professor Falls, Banff, AB

Climbed the first four pitches of Professor's today.

The route has not really filled out into enjoyable shape: the first pitch had 10m of soaking, unconsolidated, unprotect-able slush off the ground, the anchors on the top of pitch 2 cannot be reached at the moment and pitch 4 was hollow, brittle and more difficult than normal.

The road into the golf course is now closed, so bikes are recommended to get in. We took ~45mins from the parking lot to the route.

Also of note, the winds on the golf course were in the high to extreme range in the evening and the temperatures were above zero throughout the afternoon. I would imagine that avalanche conditions are deteriorating in all areas prone to wind slab accumulation.

Josh Briggs
Asst. 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] South Coast Avalanche Hazard Increasing

I just wanted throw out a heads up because I see the Canadian Avalanche Center has not started issuing bulletins yet:
 
The avalanche Hazard in the Coast Mountains will increase through the day and tomorrow. If the weather forecast holds true I expect the Avalanche Hazard at Treeline and above to be:
 
Today:          Considerable increasing High
Tomorrow       High increasing Extreme:
 
 
A warm Pacific air mass has stalled over the south west coast. Environment Canada has issued several rainfall warnings for the lowlands and snowfall warnings for the Whistler area and mountain passes. Howe Sound and Fraser Valley should see up to 200mm of precipitation by the end of Monday.
 
Ridgetop winds are currently 50km/h gusting to 80 and supposed to increase to 80 gusting to 110km this evening. Freezing levels are forecast to climb from valley bottom to 1700m by the end of tomorrow.
 
As the temperature rises, heavier more moist snow will be laid down on top of  100-150cm of colder lighter snow creating an instability. This will be accelerated by the winds. Some other localized instabilities that could fail under load are the Oct and Nov raincrusts as well as some surface hoar and near surface facetting that formed over the last few days of clear cold weather.
 
Avalanches are probable during the course of this storm. Although there is not enough snow Below Treeline (in most areas) to start an avalanche, slides from above could run down existing paths well below treeline.
 
Public avalanche forecasts for can be found at:
 
Canadian Avalanche Center: http://avalanche.ca/cac/bulletins/regions (have not started yet this season)
 
Whistlerblackcomb.com: http://www.whistlerblackcomb.com/weather/advisory/index.htm 
 
In Washington state Northwest Weather and Avalanche Center: http://www.nwac.us/
 
Current precipitation amounts can be seen at: http://www.bchydro.com/about/our_system/hydrometric_data/lower_mainland_interior.html
 
 
Cheers,
Conny Amelunxen
ACMG MG
 
 
 
 
 


 

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[MCR] Selkirk Mountains - Rogers Pass - Asulkan Valley and Dome Glacier Nov.14/09

sorry gang, missing some pictures!

ascending towards the toe of Dome glacier:

[MCR] Selkirk Mountains - Rogers Pass - Asulkan Valley and Dome Glacier Nov.14/09

had a good day running up the Asulkan 'highway' to the toe of the Dome
glacier. had to slow down for a fat porcupine but no other hazards
were encountered. another party of two continued on up onto the ice,
but smartly geared up with the rope. no open crevasses were visible
from where we ascended to (2000m) but the snow cover on the ice
definitely looked thin. the route up to Sapphire Col is a different
matter, with several large slots visible beside the Cleaver (sorry, no
pic).

temps stayed around -10 throughout the day with light & variable
winds. the surface was new snow crystals up to 5mm in size. trail
breaking was moderate with a ski penetration of 20cm.

we dug a snow profile to ground at 2000 meters / North aspect; it was
a very blank (downright sterile!) picture of a snowpack consisting of
decomposing snow crystals (DF's) to ground and not much else. the
only layer we could find was a small band of graupel (3mm in size)
aprox 100cm down from the surface. resistance was fist (F) in the top
15cm, 4 fingers (4F) in the next 50cm and then 1 finger (1F) from
there to ground. we had no results to compression or shear tests.
total snow depth was 185cm which appears to be a bit deep for the
area. probing at 1900m found depths of 115cm to 150cm.

great turns on the way down - no wind effect was observed. we elected
to exit via the up track instead of braving the usual decent through
the Mushroom People - still quite sporty thru there (see pic).

no whumphs, cracks or settlements observed & no natural activity was
seen.

curious to see what the forecasted midweek precipitation & rising
temperatures will do. for now, the happy yodels from the group at the
cabin said it all - a nice start to the season.

dave healey

ACMG assistant ski guide

ascending towards the toe of the dome glacier

__________________

the usual exit - looking sporty!

_______________________________________________
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] Selkirk Mountains - Rogers Pass - NRC Gulley Nov.14/09

Well from all those great MCR’s out there it is obvious that people are now getting out and taking advantage of the great early season conditions.

 

A late start today with Dog in tow limited our options, so we decided to check out NRC Gully.

 

Weather was mostly sunny and cool and it looked like around another 5-10cms over the old up track – we had a cool NE wind in the light to moderate range with wind transport visible on the higher peaks.

 

I will keep this short – still pretty aldery down low (means wear your goggles and keep your tips in sight!) with some tracks from earlier parties – we worked our way up into NRC bowl and ascend quite high and managed to get a decent run out of it – snow depths up there were around 120-140cms. with some shallow areas and large boulders to avoid.

 

There was an old avalanche deposit from the last storm cycle that ran quite a ways down the bowl (see attached photo) – I say this so that people keep in mind that even when the valleys are thin avalanches can definitely run to valley bottom at this point in the season with the right conditions (see below)

 

So for now the skiing is still great and there are lots of people out there (I counted 20 cars in the Asulkan Parking area) – and the rest of the weekend looks great too if not quite so bluebird as today (remember Timing is everything).

 

HOWEVER things are going to change on MONDAY and TUESDAY as there looks to be a significant WARMUP on the way, so please if you are planning on going out after the weekend take all these recent postings with a grain of salt and truly evaluate what is going on – remember  that Connaught Ck. is a shooting gallery of large paths that deserves respect (especially the “Frequent Flyer path which the summer trail crossed mid runout – it is just after the bridge where you gain the North side of Connaught Ck. – this baby runs fast and far early in the season!).

 

Have fun while it last and pray for low Freezing levels!

 

Cheers,

 

Scott Davis

ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

 

[MCR] Duffey Lake area ~ Mt. Chief Pascal

Went for a ski up Chief Pascell today.
 
Skiing from the Highway to the logging road is border-line as the trail is in the forest has little snow - walking is easier. However once in the open, track setting is good but a little punchy in the cut blocks.
 
Once you hit 1600m, in open terrain the skiing is excellent. We skied the E facing bowl and finished off via the N side back to the Hwy. Overall it was a great day of early season skiing with dry pow!
 
Cool temps with -4 being the max - the next weather system rolled in by the end of the day with light snow falling.
 
Snow depth at 2000m was about 150cm.
 
EARLY season conditions are certainly out there and the ski outs are quite hairy (old fallen trees, stumps, alder, and open creeks), so use caution in the trees and cut blocks.
 
For those of you who do not know, there is a new Web Cam at the Pass of Duffy Lake Road. http://images.drivebc.ca/bchighwaycam/pub/html/www/182.html
 

--
Cheers,
John Furneaux

ACMG/IFMGA
Mountain Guide

604.892.4689

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[MCR] Maligne area Jasper

Out for a ski today with a large group up the Lovatt Scout trail.
-19C @ 0900 in the parking lot at Maligne Lake.

About 20cm of low density faceted grains sitting on a crust right at
the ground in the parking lot.

Reasonable travel because just not much snow!

About 50 -55cm at 2200 meters. Generally unconsolidated pack with no
significant layering.
upper pack is 4F, midpack 4F+ and again 4F at the base.

Where wind affected we noted some subsidences on low angle south
slopes but no propagation observed.
no signs of any new or significant natural activity.
Still lots of hazards for sure!....decent gilding on the fire
road....."its skiing!"

Peter Amann
Mountain Guide
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] Coast Mountains - Chief Pascell - Duffy Lake Road

Went for a ski up Chief Pascell today.

 

Skiing from the Highway to the logging road is broader line as the trail is in the forest with little snow - Walking is easier. However once in the open, track setting is good but a little punchy in the cut blocks. 

 

Once you hit 1600m, in open terrain the skiing is excellent. We skied the E facing bowl and finished off via the N side back to the Hwy. Overall it was a great day of early season skiing with dry pow! 

 

Cool temps with -4 being the max - the next weather system rolled in by the end of the day with light snow falling.

 

Snow depth at 2000m was about 150cm.

 

EARLY season conditions are certainly out there and the ski outs are quite hairy, so use caution in the trees and cut blocks.

 

For those of you who do not know, there is a new Web Cam at the Pass of Duffy Lake Road. http://images.drivebc.ca/bchighwaycam/pub/html/www/182.html

 

 

 

--
Cheers,
John Furneaux

ACMG/IFMGA
Mountain Guide

604.892.4689

[MCR] Whitewater Backcountry near Nelson, BC

Hi All,

 

We went for a short tour in the backcountry of Whitewater ski resort today and found the ski quality to be surprisingly good.  Snow depths ranged from 70cm at the parking lot to 120cm at 2100m. Trail breaking was reasonable with ~15cm new overnight and 25cm ski penetration.

 

A denser base proved key for providing good support to the top 30cm of low density snow that made for great turns with reasonable coverage.  The odd buried hazard still lurks near the surface at treeline and in wind affected areas the skiing looked boney.  We saw snow depths vary from 80-200cm over short distances at 2200m in Ymir Bowl indicating strong wind distribution of snow before the last storm.  The new storm snow showed only mild wind affect in exposed areas.

 

We found the laminated Oct. crust (5cm thick) about 70cm below the surface at 2100m but this was only producing hard compression test results.  We had moderate results down 35cm at a density change which is something to watch out for where windslabs exist.

 

Skier sluffing is a concern on steeper terrain.  

 

Things are generally looking very good at these elevations for this time of year but that may change quickly if the winds pick up with all the new snow.  Lower elevations still need more cover but it's coming.

 

Play Safe,

Shaun King

ACMG Asst. Ski Guide

CAA Professional

www.mountainsense.ca

[MCR] Second Photo of Pipestone Avalanche

Pipestone Bowl is a north facing feature near treeline with moderately
smooth rocky ground cover. Convex roll, lee, approx 35-40 degrees at roll
over.

Estimated dimensions 100m wide 400m long 60-80cm thick.

(Embedded image moved to file: pic02340.gif)

Brad White
Mountain Safety Programs Specialist
Banff, Kootenay and Yoho National Parks
PO Box 900
220 Hawk Ave.
Banff, AB T1L 1K2 403-762-1490 403-760-0556 (cell)

[MCR] West Coast Snow and Avalanche conditions

I just got down from a flight from Squamish over Diamond Head to Harrison Lake.

Summary:
 
I can't make a call on the hazard rating because I havn't been in the snow yet but the avalanche hazard is greater the further east one travels in the coast mountains. In Garibaldi Park there is enough snow to produce dangerous avalanches at treeline. Flat faces with smooth ground surfaces and wind loaded features are much more likely to slide. Stay away from glaciers.
 
 
Some more details for those of you that are heading out there in the near future:
 
It was clear today with some nasty looking weather looming to the west. There was snow down to 2500ft in the west and as low as 1500ft to the east. It was -4 at 6500' at 10:30am over Garibaldi.
 
It is hard to tell from the air but if there is 100cm in Whistler and 150cm at Diamond Head then there was probably about 60-80cm over the Chehalis and Golden Ears Park in the alpine.
 
There was a little sluffing due to the sun as we were flying and evidence (especially out east) of small avalanche cycle to size 2 that occurred last Tuesday late in the storm. The slides were mostly NW aspect starting in isolated areas at and just above treeline. It looked like very few areas had reached the snow threshhold needed to produce avalanches and the places that did slide were on flat rocky faces and cross loaded gullies. Most of the peaks in the Chehalis and Pitt area are no higher than 7000 feet. The slides ran from ridge top (usually above treeline) to at most 4000ft asl. I didn't see any slides in Garibaldi.
 
Glaciers were riddled with crevasses covered with sagging weak shallow bridges.
 
Cheers,
Conny Amelunxen
ACMG MG
 
 
 
 

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[MCR] JNP, Mt Edith Cavell region and Astoria trails closed Oct 15-Feb 15

See attached for further information, closure map, and contact info.

Mount Edith Cavell region and Astoria trails are closed Oct 15-Feb 15 for
Caribou protection. This includes Cavell hostel and Cavell road. Access to
and from the Tonquin valley and ACC Wates Gibson Hut is through Portal
creek trail.

In addition, vehicle traffic will not be allowed on Cavell road until
sometime in July 2010 due to road paving.

(See attached file: ENGLISH FINAL_Fact Sheet, Caribou area restrictions,
Nov 09 .pdf)

Garth Lemke
Public Safety Specialist JNP,
ACMG assistant ski

[MCR] Selkirk Mountains- Rogers Pass - Balu Pass Nov.8 2009

Well I finally recovered enough from the flu bug to wander up Connaught creek today with Greg Johnson. We aimed our early season sites on Balu Pass.

 

Happy to say a couple from Revy made the early start and put a nice track in up the valley saving us old guys (well me anyway) from laboring up the drainage – they were breaking what looked to be 15-20cms in the valley bottom, that had accumulated over the older tracks – I am not sure if anyone was up there yesterday (Sat.) but there was definitely traffic on Friday. The temps were cool with light winds and snow showers off and on all day.

 

Once you broke out of the trees, the total depth of snow down low looked to be around 50cms and was composed of 20-30cms recent storm snow over a strong rain crust. We did notice one reasonably recent small dry avalanche that had run fast and far (to valley bottom) off the steep North facing slopes of Cheops – it looked to be a result of wind loading at the high ridge crests (things looked windier in the high alpine that what we experienced during the day)

 

At the Base of the headwall just below Balu Pass we took a minute to check out the bonding of the recent storm snow to the aforementioned crust which was now down 60-100cms from the surface. Compression tests yielded hard results just above the crust with a clean shear but it didn’t seem to want to leap off the crust for sure – hand shears nearby also produced a clean shear on the crust but my impression was that it was stuck reasonably well – though I was not keen to test my theory on some steep convex roll!

 

We continued above the Pass (elevation 2070m.) and up the ridge that ascends North, towards 8812 Pk., and noticed that the crust had disappeared – so from this limited observation (and Greg’s conversation with the local Avalanche forecasters) it appears that the crust peters out around 2000m and is likely not an issue above that elevation.

 

The snowpack felt well settled adding some confidence that we would not sink into the rocks if we stayed away from scoured ridges – the ski quality was actually quite good – okay it was great and everyone out there was having fun (we saw the aforementioned couple and another group of 3).

 

Keep in mind of course that all those rocks that were visible not to long ago are now just buried – we stuck to lower angled terrain not so much as to limit avalanche risk as to keep from having to edge to hard and dig into something close to the surface.

 

It felt great to get out for a walk in the mountains – but I definitely still feel as though I need a bit more time and info to gain some confidence in the snowpack – though I have to say it appears to be off to a good start.

 

Remember if all else fails – LEAN BACK,

 

Cheers,

 

Scott Davis

ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

 

[MCR] Bow Falls

Yo! Just an update on Jorg's post from a few days back.

 

Had a good day up on Bow Falls yesterday, despite some fairly nasty conditions. Temps were good within a degree or two of -5* all day. Winds aloft and in the surrounding area were reasonably calm all day, but we got a pretty good pummeling from the downdrafts (moderate to strong gusts all day) being sent down off the Wapta Icefields that sit right above the falls. Lot's and lot's of spindrift, my hood came off all day, and the gore-tex froze solid a few times. The ice isn't in the greatest shape right now, and it felt like it definitely slowed us down a bit on the way up. Lot's of aerated sections through the first pitch but still easy enough to get descent full length screws. Had to really clean to get a good anchor at the top of the first pitch. The second pitch, a line just right of  the middle of the falls, was pretty delicate, with very thin sections of delaminated ice covered over with a thin skin or shell, the "good" ice underneath, being no more than about 10cm's thick. Lot's of delicate cleaning to get through it, and maybe one or two good screws on the pitch. On the top out on the right side I also ran into a small patch of hanging snow, that if starts to tighten up with a bit more wind would probably want to pop out of there, just a heads up. Topping out on the left hand side looked like it would be a better option if you could weave a line into it. The line we did would probably be solid WI4+.

 

Lot's a folks out climbing the short single pitch stuff down and right of the falls too yesterday, looks like the place to be for early season ice cragging - looked like a lot of cool stuff to do, and like Jorg said probably plenty for the WI3 - 5 climbers, be a fun day out!

 

That's it for now, guess it's game on - have fun and be safe!

 

Ciao.

 

Mike Trehearne

ACMG Assistant Alpine Guide.

m_trehearne@hotmail.com

[MCR] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued November 5th, 2009

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued November 5th, 2009 This may be the last ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary for 2009. Kananaskis Country, Banff/Kootenay/Yoho and Jasper park have begun producing public avalanche bulletins for the winter. The Canadian Avalanche Center is planning to have a public message for this weekend, check their bulletin page. MCR reports from independent guides will continue as always throughout the winter. Thanks to all the ACMG members who have fed us enough information to allow us to produce the summaries. Summaries will begin again in spring after the Canadian Avalanche Center has produced their final bulletin. Recently in the Rockies, at least 2 parties of skiers/snowboarders have been involved in avalanches they have triggered in gullies and one ice climbing party was overrun by a natural avalanche. For more information and some photos that clearly illustrates the current situation, go to www.avalanche.ca, click discussion and then Central Rockies 10/31/2009 and Close call-Ranger Creek. A Chinook is blowing like hell across the East slope of the Rockies at the moment. Nakiska ridgetop recorded SSW winds of 134kmh, gusts of 177kmh and a temperature of +2c at 4pm. That "breeze" is going to blow most of the snow well onto the prairies. What gets left in the lee will be hard wind slabs and crisp new cornices. Some of these will form over and on most of the few available ice climbs. Assume that getting caught in a slide in November will feel like a serious ass kicking, if you are lucky. If You can be sure your route and all the terrain above it is either snow or avalanche terrain free,ice climbing is possible in the Rockies. There are reports of decent early season ice along the east slope from the Ghost River,the Jasper area and scattered along the Banff-Jasper highway. Obviously, most routes will be thin,"fresh" and probably way harder than the guidebook description. Getting decent gear and anchors may well be a battle. A rock rack with a fistful of pins should be part of your standard early season ice gear. Skiing in the Rockies would be a very bad idea for awhile yet. With the current snow pack, warm temps and high winds, anywhere that has enough snow to even consider skiing is probably either a fat wind slab or a poorly bridged crevasse. Rock climbing in the sun and out of the wind on the East Face of Tunnel mountain was good for awhile today, but that didn't last long. Skiing in Columbia's is still very marginal. Here are some recent snow observations- Rogers Pass summit 1330m 25cms Mt. Fidelity, west side of Glacier Park, North of highway. 1905m 83cms. CMH Gothics Lodge, Selkirk's, Goldstream River,700m 14cms. Estimate of 70cms or less at treeline. Mustang Lodge, Monashees, west of Perry River, NE of Gorge creek. 1700m 105cms. Now picture that much snow on the Selkirk's undergrowth/jungle, quartzite blocks, cedar stumps, alder and gaping crevasses. Not a pretty picture. Some decent and reasonably safe turns could probably be found above treeline on non glaciated terrain near the Selkirk's and Purcell's divide but it will be very, very hard work to get there. We have almost no real observations from which to assess the current avalanche hazard, especially in the Columbia's. Therefore, the only reasonable approach is to confine yourself to simple terrain. Downhill skiing below treeline would be scary, crappy and quite possibly would result in season ending injuries. Hopefully, the weather forecast is correct and more snow and cooler temperatures are on the way. However, the avalanche hazard is very likely to increase greatly over the weekend, especially in the Columbia mountains. Patience and prudence are the key words for the weekend. Live to play another day and all that. Have a fine, safe winter! Larry Stanier ACMG/IFMGA 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] Early Season Avalanche Conditions

The Canadian Avalanche Centre is winding up for the season and information this time of year is sparse and difficult to get. If you've been out for a ski, climb, walk, drive or heard of stories from people who have, we'd love to hear about it. You can send information to: forecaster@avalanche.ca or call the forecasting office at 250-837-2141 ext. 230

 

We welcome any information no matter what your level of training or experience. Informal reports and stories are often just as helpful as technical data.

 

The MCR summary later this evening will provide more detail and we'll be issuing an early season report for a number of regions tomorrow with a bit of a weather outlook for the weekend as well. Check out our bulletins at http://www.avalanche.ca/CAC_Bulletin_Regions

 

There's been a number of close calls (skiing. boarding, and ice-climbing) already this fall so keep your head up out there.

 

Karl Klassen
Mountain Guide
Revelstoke