[MCR] Monashee mtns, west of the Perry river, North od the TCH and across from the Gorge, Craigellachie ck Jan 6th, 2010

In the Monashees, just across Craigellachie ck from the Gorge non-motorized zone, life is good. We were all worried about an impending avalanche cycle on surface hoar and it never happened here while lots of other places are having to tiptoe around. Our surface hoar may have got disturbed a bit by the wind the night before it was buried, it seems to have settled into the soft snow layer below it and it has yet to receive enough snow and or wind to create a real slab on top of it.

We got into the alpine today and it all looked good. We aren't exactly hucking off the summit cornice yet:), but we are carefully skiing some big country after lots of tests and a good look around today. Probably, if nothing changes we will be going into some more big country tomorrow.

Cold clear day today but no noticeable sun effect at treeline or above when we departed around 3pm.

Enjoy it in this neighbourhood but don't take this info very far from here. Things are much more complicated and scary elsewhere.

Larry Stanier
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide