We are very busy here at the CAC and I don't have time to do an in-depth update. I do want to remind people that even though avalanches are much harder to trigger now than they were even a week ago and we are seeing far less slides in recent days, there are still signs that the weak layers we've been talking about since February are still capable of producing very large, destructive avalanches.
Our February/March avalanche photo gallery is at:
http://www.avalanche.ca/cac/library/avalanche-image-galleries/feb-march-2010
Take a look at the two most recent photos the gallery:
http://www.avalanche.ca/uploads/gallery/2/MPS-1.jpg
http://www.avalanche.ca/uploads/gallery/2/MPS-4.jpg
While isolated incidents, these are indicative of the potential that still exists out there.
Please be careful if you are considering going into the following mountains this weekend:
· North Rockies (north and east of Prince George to the Alberta border.
· Columbia Mountains south of highway 16 to the US border, between Quesnel, Williams Lake, Kamloops, and Osyoos on the west and Valemount, Blue River, Golden, and Cranbrook on the east.
· South Chilcotin Mountains north of Pemberton and east of the South Coast Mountain divide.
In these areas, the advice provided here: http://www.avalanche.ca/cac/library/researchandarticles/PWLpaper0910 is applicable.
The CAC Avalanche Forecasts at: http://www.avalanche.ca/cac/bulletins/regions provide information that is updated daily to help you make informed decisions if you plan to go into the mountains.
Have a great Easter weekend and Easter holidays but play safe.
Please send this on or repost in other venues freely.
Karl Klassen
Mountain Guide
Public Avalanche Bulletins Manager
Canadian Avalanche Centre