[MCR] Hudson Bay Mountain 6 December 06

Saint Nicholas' Day brought another 30 cm of wet snow in the valley
bottom, southerly winds, and rain at higher elevations. We flew the
east flank of Hudson Bay Mountain at ten this morning and were
surprised to find less snow than expected, no slabs and wet surface
sluffs only in steep terrain. In the main start zone at 1800 m, some
of the bed surface from the 19 November cycle was still visible and
the cornices were small. There was a lot of wind effect from that
elevation on, with the upper mountain appearing stripped. We then
skied up to our observation site at 1500 m and found about 15 cm of
new snow, the top 6 cm of which were wet and very high density. It was
1.5 degrees above freezing, raining lightly, and there was a strong
southerly wind. The skiing was vile.

Even in steep terrain, ski cutting only led to surface sluffing. The
visibility was not very good, and we saw and heard no other slides.
--
Christoph Dietzfelbinger
Mountain Guide IFMGA
Bear Mountaineering and the Burnie Glacier Chalet
Box 4222 Smithers, B.C. Canada V0J 2N0
tel. 250-847-3351 fax 250-847-2854
info@bearmountaineering.ca www.bearmountaineering.ca

_______________________________________________
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.

[MCR] Rogers Pass Asulkan Valley Dec.5-06

Went up Asulkan valley today as far as the Cleaver between the Sapphire and Dome Glaciers @2200m.

 

Snowing lightly all day (a skiff on the car at the end of the day) with a few blue sky breaks in the morning to lure us up above treeline – clouds settled in again by the later afternoon.

 

15cm. of snow in the track at valley bottom since yesterday afternoon bumped up to 25-30 by the time we began breaking trail above the Mousetrap making for 45cm+ ski pen and a good workout going uphill. Numerous small loose snow point release avalanches in this newer storm snow in 40 degree + terrain as well as skier triggered sluffs when we skied steeper terrain. No real slab in the upper snowpack as of yet and no wind effect in the terrain we were in though I am sure that may change higher up at ridge crest or wind exposed locations (looked like some wind action up high on the Youngs peak side of the valley.

 

All in all great (okay amazing) skiing but be aware of loose snow sluffs  especially in confined features or where there is a consequence below you should you be swept off your feet.

 

One other thing , I am sure that Parks will have plowed out the parking lot by tomorrow but if you are in a 2 wheel drive make sure first as it was bumper deep in the Asulkan parking lot today.

 

Keep them slippery side down – at least when you land!

Cheers,

 

Scott Davis

Mountain Guide

[MCR] Dancing with Chaos

Route is in good shape right now with a well defined trail to the base.  Technical and interesting climbing that was a bit easier than stated grade.  Pictures on gravsports dot com.

 

Cheers

 

Mike Stuart

Assistant Alpine Guide

[MCR] Coast-Hurley Pass-Tenquil area

We spent the weekend up in Hope Creek, the drainage east of Railroad Pass or north of Tenquil Lake. At 1450m it was  -17 when we arived on Friday night, and 0 when we left on Sunday evening.
 
We found a prominent weak layer in the upper snowpack, that was settling out with warming temperatures.  This layer was the interface between the snow that fell on Weds/Thurs (Nov 30) and the previous snow. In the Alpine this layer was very wind affected  and varied from 5-50cm deep. At treeline and below this interface was 18cm deep and equally reactive, but the surface snow was very light. We saw two size 2 avalanches on steep NE terrain in the alpine that probably occurred on Thursday or Friday. In the alpine steep rolls would produce small avalanches (so we stayed away from the big stuff) and at treeline and below it would slough off.
 
In technical terms we were finding Easy to Moderate (SP) shears down 18cm (HST) on a cold stellar layer, which was preserved under 1F to P dense slabs in the alpine.
 
While we were out there we watch the Surface Hoar grow to about 1cm in size, before getting wiped out (in our valley) to about 1650m by above freezing temperatures. 
 
We skied it like:
 
Saturday: Alpine-Considerable, Treeline-Moderate, Below Treeline-Moderate
Sunday: Alp-Moderate, TL-Moderate, BTL-Moderate
 
If I were to go back in the next few days I would be really keeping an eye out for that newly buried surface hoar layer and checking to see how the next layer down is reacting.


Conny Amelunxen
MG, ACMG

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[MCR] Blackcomb Glacier E Col

I went to the East Col from the Blackcomb Glacier today. Winds had created varying density windslabs throughout the alpine.  We dug into the snow at 2340 meters elevation and the only interesting feature found was a thin (5cm) pencil hardness wind slab above a 4 finger hard layer 20cm below the surface.  Where we dug this layer was fracturing on an easy compression SP "popping out".  This layer might be a future problem with further loading. Everything deeper in the snow pack was quite solid.  At this elevation and site ski penetration was 5-15cm and Foot Penetration was up to 30cm.  Air temperature was -2 at 2 pm.  I saw no recent avalanches activity. The way I saw it - the Hazard in the Alpine was Moderate and the Stability Fair, but with limited observations.  

I've included a photo of the Spearhead from the E Col. Sorry about the lack of definition.

 

Dave Sarkany,  Ski Guide  

[MCR] Hudson Bay Mountain 3 Dec 06

After some excitement when it rained in the valley at 0600 this morning,
we went to check the conditions at timberline. There were 6 cm of new
snow at 1100 m at a temperature of 0 degrees. At 1500 m, it was -1.5
with a light southerly wind and very light snowfall. About 10 cm had
accumulated since the 25th of November. There was marked wind effect at
timberline. Visibility was poor higher up, but I am confident that the
light snow of last week has been heavily wind affected. We could see no
new avalanche activity and ski cutting only led to sluffing which ran
slowly.

The snowpack showed several sudden planar shears, one on surface hoar 30
cm down. There may be pockets of that surface hoar buried in sheltered
locations, but I don't think it survived last week's winds in the alpine.

The forecast precipitation did not really materialize and the heavy
early winter snowpack seems to be settling well. Skiing quality in the
trees was fair due to tree bombs.

--
Christoph Dietzfelbinger
Mountain Guide, Bear Mountaineering and Burnie Glacier Chalet
Box 4222
Smithers, B.C. V0J 2N0 Canada
tel. 250-847-3351 fax: 250-847-2854
info@bearmountaineering.ca www.bearmountaineering.ca

_______________________________________________
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.

[MCR] Monahsee Mountains Gorge Road Access

HI Everyone,

In interest in keeping good relations with the logging company that is keeping the road open up Gorge Ck. in the Monahsees please review the following message I received the other day from a colleague in forestry.

 

“Talked to LP on the Gorge Road, here is the scoop.  Some broad circulation would be appreciated by LP, some ski tourers are insensitive to active logging situations and there is an accident potential. 

 

Until about the Christmas or so, the Gorge Road is plowed to about 12.5 km.  Radio frequency is 153.320.

 

Just beyond 12.5 km, there is active logging on the "new" road.  At 12.5 (on the old road) LP has plowed out a parking lot and is requesting all tourers park in this lot and follow the old road to the 15.0 km point, where tourers then head up to Queest Mtn.  On the new road, at 12.5 where the active logging is occuring, some ski tourers are wanting to get past the machiney during active logging.  Don't do this, it isn't going over very well with the loggers, is dangerous and there is no real advantage to doing so, since the road isn't plowed beyond the active logging.  Park at 12.5 and tour up the old road to bypass the active logging.

 

Normally hauling does not occur on weekends, however logging / machinery maintenance may (will) occur on weekends.

 

After the logging is finished at 12.5, that will be it for the season.

There is a potential for a lower elevation block at about 5 km, but the markets are so bad, it may not occur.”

 

 

 

Fred Thiessen

Manager, Southern Interior (East)

Sites and Trail Branch

Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts

515 Columbia Street, Kamloops BC, V2C 2T7

 

 

Scott Davis

Best Ever Adventures

E-mail: sdavis@alpineadventure.com

Check out the website: www.alpineadventure.com

(250)837-9630

Box 2795 Revelstoke, B.C.

V0E 2S0