The Small River drainage (closed to snowmobiling) is located about
16km west of the Valemount junction on Hwy 16 near Teracana Lodge.
The drainage runs north towards the upper Holmes river.
At the Small River junction the elevation is 751 meters, and we
sledded to 1219 meters
At the Hwy turnoff the snowpack is about 15cm. Very large surface
hoar crystals to 15mm sit on a temperature crust right at the
surface, and below that it is weak faceted snow to ground. (no other
crust found at the ground)
At 1219 meters, and about 14.5 kms up I did a quick test profile.
The snowpack is 30cm. A weak decomposed crust was found at the ground
but again the snowpack is weak and unconsolidated. No shears were
found. Surface hoar was sporadic and not in all places on the snow surface.
This may be typical of some of the other drainages west of Valemount
towards McBride.
In overview; it looked very thin on all aspects above the road,
looking up into the alpine.
The operator said things were certainly lower than usual for this time of year.
In Jasper yesterday morning it was -30, temps were -19 at the Small
river-Hwy 16 junction.
Peter Amann
Mountain Guide
Peter Amann
pamann@incentre.net