this area better. We reached the alpine in the early afternoon and had
no time to do much. Saw some tracks to ridgelines. I dug a pit at
treeline and was shocked to find only 100 cm of snow. That seems to be
it. The top 30 cm fell on top of a crust complex from the rain in early
January. In a compression test, that layer failed when hitting the block
hard with a sudden collapse. An extended column test did not propagate
across the block. The bottom 30 cm are big facets. We saw no evidence of
avalanches. There were small cornices at the ridgetops and the steep
terrain below the ridges looked like the snowpack is quite variable. It
was -2 degrees at 1500 m. Skiing quality was reasonable, but the tree
runs sure have a lot of bumps from logs and stumps. The area is getting
a fair amount of use and the access is very good and close to the highway.
--
Christoph Dietzfelbinger
IFMGA/ UIAGM 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.