[MCR] Kananaskis. Black prince to Engadine lodge this afternoon

I happened to be driving between Black Prince and Mt. Engadine Lodge during a clear spell this afternoon and it looked "busy" to the west. Around 30-40cm in places along the road, -8 to -13c and blowing like hell from the west up high around 3:30.

Saw 4 BIG loose snow avalanches release within about 15 minutes, all out of steep terrain on the west side of the Spray road. One started as a large cornice failure. All of them would have blown an untethered ice climber way out into space and it would have been a world of hurt to be in the way at a belay.

Surprisingly, I saw no slab avalanche fracture lines amongst all that terrain in good light. However, I wouldn't put much weight on that observation. It looked like it may have been calm for awhile during all the snow today as even windy places like Tent Ridge were fairly evenly white. However, as the K country bulletin says, that is likely to change with all the current and forecasted wind.

The wind was howling from the North through Whiteman's Gap and it was apocalyptically dark over Banff at 5pm.

Cue the organ music.

Larry Stanier
Mountain Guide
laristan@telus.net
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