[MCR] The Rogers Pass

 
 Just out from 4 days at the Pass.
 
 Recieved about 35cm of snow over the period, and it was quite mild, temperature today -2 C at 2200m midday, Connaught Creek drainage.
 Significant wind effect from westerly winds past 24 hours in Connaught Creek, creating areas of firm windslab and loading up north and east aspects. Many natural avalanches have run recently from steep north facing terrain ( Mt. Cheops ), some reaching the valley floor.
 It seems like the new snow is now settling into a triggerable slab
on top of the late february surface hoar and/or suncrust layer. The frequency of  "whumphs" - a suretell indicator of instability - increased dramatically today.
 
 Use careful route selection and there is good safe skiing to be had.
 
 Joel McBurney 
 Ski Guide
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

---

[MCR] Howsons 29 Feb 08

Today we saw a widespread natural avalanche cycle on facets and surface
hoar. Fortunately, the slab is quite shallow - rarely more than 20 cm
and often less. It propagates very easily with cracks shooting 50 m
across slopes. However, it ran slowly and only in quite steep terrain.
It does appear that another crust and facet layer formed on 28 February
and today's avalanches ran on that. A large avalanche ran off Hut Peak
and dusted the valley.

We are moving very carefully and suspect that more load may activate
lower weak layers.

--
Christoph Dietzfelbinger
IFMGA/ UIAGM Mountain Guide - Bear Mountaineering and the 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] updated persistent weak layers paper

I have updated the persistent weak layers paper I originally wrote in late January. You can find the updated paper at: http://www.avalancheinfo.net/Media/Persistent%20Weak%20Layers%20and%20the%20Winter%20of%202007-08.pdf or by going to www.avalanche.ca, clicking on the CAC link, and looking for the link to persistent weak layers info on the main page.

 

The update discusses the January 26th layer which is now dormant and about 100cm down in most BC ranges as well as the up and coming February 25th layer which is being buried as we speak and became active in select locations in the last 24 hours or so. I also review some more risk management concepts and go over some of the factors that tend to trigger or reactivate dormant PWLs.

 

The February 25th layer is showing great potential as a performer. I suspect it will become active more readily and will react on a more widespread basis than Jan 26th. This coming weekend could be when we reach critical load and slab properties on this layer, especially in the Cariboo, Selkirk, and Monashee Mountains. Keep your heads up on this one folks.

 

Cheers,

 

Karl Klassen
Mountain Guide
1735 Westerburg Road
Revelstoke,  BC
Canada
V0E 2S1
250-837-3733
kklassen@rctvonline.net

[MCR] Weeping Wall

Hello

 

Was out on the Weeping Wall yesterday and it was a busy place - 6 parties on the lower wall!  It looked like the first pitch of Snivelling Gully had another day or two in the sun before it falls off. 

 

We climbed the left hand route and you want to pick your line from the base as there is quite a bit of delaminated ice on that route, especially near the top of the second pitch (just before the last big ledge).  The ice was nice and sun soaked for the tools but lousy for the screws, with a good 2 inch coating of frost on the surface.

 

The sun has been very strong on low elevation south facing routes so it would be wise to plan your routes accordingly and aim to be off of them before the heat of the day torches the terrain above you.

 

Climb safe and have fun!

 

Cheers

 

Mike Stuart
Alpine Guide

[MCR] Selkirk Mountains - Albert Icefields - Interior ranges in general - Feb.27-08

From Scott Davis:

Well it has begun - the Feb.23/26 surface hoar sandwich - which goes to
mountain top and is present in all mountain ranges - is now buried by
anywhere from 15-25cms. of new snow from last nights system.

So far here it hasn't really hit the depth (we have 15cms.) and density
of slab to be reactive in the form of slab avalanches (though some
places reported triggering 20cm. slabs on suncrust/surface hoar
interface with a trigger from a distance - helicopter-remote) - it won't
be long before those threshold values are reached.

I would be especially cautious of those slopes that have a buried
suncrust in combination with the surface hoar as they are likely to be
the earliest to react and may not need much snow.

It looks like tomorrow will give us a break in the weather followed by
another system on Friday/Saturday - so by the weekend things could be
quite touchy and I would urge everyone to practice conservative travel
and ski terrain choice.

This is not something that is going to disapear anytime soon and safe
skiing this spring will require a good knowledge of slope use coupled
with a rational and respectful use of terrain.

Be alert for change!

Cheers,

Scott Davis
Mountain Guide

_______________________________________________
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] Howsons 26 Feb 08

Conditions are changing rapidly and in ways that I have not seen before.
We skied Loft Peak yesterday and found surface hoar to size 2 and 3 all
the way to the ridgetops in all aspects that were not affected by wind.
We actually skied off the summit in surface hoar. That is now buried by
20 cm of new snow. There was little wind to destroy the surface hoar.
Today we skied the north flank of Tom George Mountain and the Solitaire
Ski Peak. The new snow sheared easily on facets. It is quite dense (100
kg/m3) and cohesive. Today there was not enough new snow yet to form
slabs in skiable terrain, but I don't think that time is far off. There
was no visibility all day, but we heard several avalanches off Hut Peak.
At least the skiing was very good for those who had reference ...

--
Christoph Dietzfelbinger
IFMGA/ UIAGM Mountain Guide - Bear Mountaineering and the 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] Rockies - Little Crowfoot

Yesterday (Feb 25) we climbed Little Crowfoot, up the glacier to the north and east of the peak and down the west side moraines. The most significant observation we made was that it stayed cool all day, even at Bow Lake.

Variable snowpack depth, especially at just above treeline and in moraines. These are the elevations/terrain features that I have been most "head's up" in recently.  I have had a hard time judging where the true margin is in this terrain with the snowpack that we have so I've been pretty conservative in my route selection.

It doesn't look like there has been much avalanche activity here for a couple of days, but it seems to have been quite active during the warm spell especially on solar affected slopes below rock bands.

Reports from guides coming down from the icefield were that there was significant variability in snowpack depth in the open areas between Bow and Rhonda, from 70 cm to 300 cm. Also reports of hard slabs over facets causing one party to turn back from the steep roll that gains the south ridge of South Rhonda.

Mark Klassen

Mountain Guide