a ski tour at London ridge on the road between New Denver and Kaslo.
The observations are now 48 hrs old but are still relevant.
It was a beautiful sunny day with an inversion warming temperatures at
treeline and above creating moist snow at the surface and later a thin
crust on southerly aspects.
Windslabs were found at ridge tops only from past moderate to strong
northerly winds. One recently naturally released avalanche size 2 was
observed on a steep North slope.
A snow profile at 1850m on a south aspect showed crusts at 50, 60 and
70cm down from the surface with the crust at 50cm being the sliding
layer (uneven break) on an extended column test producing Hard result
values. Snow depth was 130cm.
The snowpack is generally shallow and yet feels strong enough in most
places. Where the weakness of the snowpack really shows is nearby
smaller trees where sugary snow gives away easily and shallow areas
near ridge tops and rocks.
Tree wells are definitely something to reckon with in this area!
London ridge is steep and exposed almost everywhere and we felt
comfortable enough with the terrain exposure and stability tests
results to continue on our ascent, but we all felt that large,
unsupported, smooth planar slopes would be best left alone due to the
presence of the crust 50cm down in the pack. Having said that, we
skied the South facing avalanche path leading to Bear Lake without any
problems. The best skiing was found on a East facing slope where the
snow stayed cold and sheltered from the sun and wind.
The suncrust and faceted surface snow will now be covered with new
snow and could become weak layers to watch in the future.
All the best for 2011!
Sylvain Hebert
ACMG Ski 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.
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