[MCR] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued April 30th, 2014

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued April 30th, 2014 ACMG Mountain Conditions Summary issued april 30th, 2014 This is the first ACMG Mountain Conditions summary for 2014. Parks Canada and Kananaskis Country should still be issuing public avalanche bulletins for awhile yet. The HEAT is on! This is the first big warm spell of the spring and the still wintry snowpack is going to feel it. Possibly not much overnight cooling for a couple of days so it won't be a great time to be out in the mountains enjoying the afternoon sun unless you are far away from any avalanche run outs. The weak basal layers and the feb 10th layers will probably be stressed by this sudden and possibly prolonged heat. A wise person would assume this stress WILL produce some big nasty avalanches somewhere. Certainly wet surface slides and rockfall will be an issue in steep terrain till things change. The remaining cornices are "springtime huge" and will be creaking and groaning hard in the heat. Rumours of a possible inversion tomorrow-that won't help with anything but creating big avalanches. It looks like it might cool down in the Bow Valley eventually but in some forecast areas(Jasper and most of the Columbias) it may stay warm and even rain eventually in the Columbias. That is a long way out but if it happens, it is not good news for mountain travellers in the short term. Continue to expect big avalanches if it stays warm and sunny or rains without the snowpack getting a chance to cool down. There have been several recent reports of some great skiing and travelling conditions but that is all on hold till things cool down. Glacier travel conditions are wildly variable-reports of good coverage on most of the Bugs to Rogers Pass traverse-and reports of Sir Sandford hourglass route being almost all bare ice. The alpine lakes are probably starting to get less trustworthy. I recently heard a terrifying story of a group of 3 all falling through the ice on Fortress Lake last spring. Swimming with skis and a big pack on is likely not as much fun as it sounds. These guys are tough, worked hard and were lucky to survive. There is still some waterfall ice around, but again, terrain choice will be key given the rising avalanche hazard and the rising potential for any unsupported ice falling off till temperatures get cool and stay there for awhile. It is warm and dry enough to rock climb in low elevation, sunny places in the Bow Valley and the Columbia mountains. Ticks are out in the rockies and there will likely be some dampness around most crags but it would feel darn good to have hands on warm stone again. Alpine climbing-uh, no. This heat will be great for the alpinism in the long run but the snow will really need to recover after this heat. It really is still very much a late winter snowpack with some nasty avalanche events still to come before we get excited about cramponing on perfect neve that is frozen from ground to snow surface. Finally on the subject of avalanches and alpinism, the ACMG will be launching an awareness campaign about the use of avalanche rescue gear in waterfall ice and alpine climbing. We certainly don't want to be dogmatic about it but, I think it is fair to say that while travelling in snow covered avalanche terrain at anytime of the year, it is wise to consider carrying avalanche rescue gear and only leaving it behind as part of a conscious decision making process, not simply because you aren't skiing in January. There is still some great skiing and climbing to come this spring. Let this heatwave do its work from a cozy distance and get after it when things have healed up. Happy May! Larry Stanier 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] Area Closure 1A: Banff National Park

Just passing this message along from the Banff Fire Management team. This closure includes all the climbing on Mt. Cory as well as the Mt Edith and Mt Louis approaches.  I believe the closure is in effect until May 30th:


Please note the following area closure effective today, April 30, 2014:

Where: The area between Hillsdale Meadow at the east end of the Hillsdale split to the Fireside day-use area (including parking lot and Edith and Mt. Cory trails - Edith pass trail to its junction with Cory pass trail). Highway 1A, the Bow Valley Parkway, is still open for vehicular travel (see link for map).

Why: To ensure public safety during prescribed fire operations.

http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/scond/Cond_E.asp?oID=16518&oPark=100092


Ian Jackson
ACMG Mountain Guide
Visitor Safety Technician | Technicien Sécurité de Visiteurs
Banff, Yoho, Kootenay National Parks | Parcs Natiounaux Banff, Yoho, Kootenay
Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
www.parksmountainsafety.ca | www.parcsecuritemontagne.ca

experience PROPER AWESOME / vivez l'expérience: PUREMENT GÉNIAL

[MCR] Bugaboos to Rogers Pass Ski Traverse, April 20-29th, 2014

We completed a ski traverse from the Bugaboos to Rogers Pass yesterday under clear skies and with cool temperatures. We had very unsettled weather on the trip with about 30-60cm of storm snow in the alpine, but temperatures remained cool and travel conditions were good throughout the traverse. The snowpack was more of a settled winter snowpack than a true spring snowpack. North aspects still had dry snow as low as 2000m yesterday. Valley bottom travel was supportive even late in the day and only very thin solar aspects had gone completely isothermal. Early morning travel was very good the last couple days with the crust breaking down by early afternoon. Glaciers had more than 3.5m of snow and glacier travel was straight forward with the exception of a couple wind scoured areas.

We saw very little avalanche activity on the traverse. Solar triggered slides to size 2 out of steep solar slopes were becoming more common on the last two days, and several cornice failures and small wind loaded slabs to size 2 on North aspects were observed mid traverse following a storm. The one anomaly was a size 3.5 off the SW face of Mt Macoun failing on a deep weak layer in the last several days. 

Our avalanche concerns consisted of cornice failures, loose wet sluffs, and deep slabs if things stayed warm.

The traverse was in very good shape. Here are a few specific comments: 

• We ascended the Bugaboo - Snowpatch col using the narrow climber's left gully under Snowpatch which avoids the larger slopes of the main col. 
• The crevasses on the Vowel Glacier descent were more open than we have seen before.
• Gaining the Malloy Glacier and the Conrad Icefield was straightforward with very good coverage.
• All the descent routes around Mt Syphax seemed to be in good shape. We used the descent of the "Action Direct" ski run to Malachite Creek.
• The Carbonate Glacier was well covered with the exception of the final 50 meters to gain the descent ridge at about 2800m where the snowpack was quite shallow. Bare ice and open crevasses were showing just above this elevation making the higher bench access hazardous.
• The steep S slopes leading up through the rock bands to the Beaver Overlook were thin and becoming isothermal but provided good step kicking before sunrise.
• The route down the Grand Glacier from Mt Sugarloaf appears to be skiable but is quite broken. We avoided this area due to very poor visibility and only observed it from the Deville Glacier ascent. 
• The Deville and Illecillewaet Glaciers had very good coverage and minimal crevasse concerns.

A great spring ski tour!

--

Conrad Janzen and Tom Wolfe

ACMG Mountain Guides

Banff Mountain Guides 

[MCR] Bugaboos to Rogers Pass Ski Traverse, April 20-29th, 2014

We completed a ski traverse from the Bugaboos to Rogers Pass yesterday under clear skies and with cool temperatures. We had very unsettled weather on the trip with about 30-60cm of storm snow in the alpine, but temperatures remained cool and travel conditions were good throughout the traverse. The snowpack was more of a settled winter snowpack than a true spring snowpack. North aspects still had dry snow as low as 2000m yesterday. Valley bottom travel was supportive even late in the day and only very thin solar aspects had gone completely isothermal. Early morning travel was very good the last couple days with the crust breaking down by early afternoon. Glaciers had more than 3.5m of snow and glacier travel was straight forward with the exception of a couple wind scoured areas.

We saw very little avalanche activity on the traverse. Solar triggered slides to size 2 out of steep solar slopes were becoming more common on the last two days, and several cornice failures and small wind loaded slabs to size 2 on North aspects were observed mid traverse following a storm. The one anomaly was a size 3.5 off the SW face of Mt Macoun failing on a deep weak layer in the last several days. 

Our avalanche concerns consisted of cornice failures, loose wet sluffs, and deep slabs if things stayed warm.

The traverse was in very good shape. Here are a few specific comments: 

• We ascended the Bugaboo - Snowpatch col using the narrow climber's left gully under Snowpatch which avoids the larger slopes of the main col. 
• The crevasses on the Vowel Glacier descent were more open than we have seen before.
• Gaining the Malloy Glacier and the Conrad Icefield was straightforward with very good coverage.
• All the descent routes around Mt Syphax seemed to be in good shape. We used the descent of the "Action Direct" ski run to Malachite Creek.
• The Carbonate Glacier was well covered with the exception of the final 50 meters to gain the descent ridge at about 2800m where the snowpack was quite shallow. Bare ice and open crevasses were showing just above this elevation making the higher bench access hazardous.
• The steep S slopes leading up through the rock bands to the Beaver Overlook were thin and becoming isothermal but provided good step kicking before sunrise.
• The route down the Grand Glacier from Mt Sugarloaf appears to be skiable but is quite broken. We avoided this area due to very poor visibility and only observed it from the Deville Glacier ascent. 
• The Deville and Illecillewaet Glaciers had very good coverage and minimal crevasse concerns.

A great spring ski tour!

--

Conrad Janzen and Tom Wolfe

ACMG Mountain Guides

Banff Mountain Guides 

[MCR] Glacier National Park-Winter Permit System still in effect

Just a reminder: The Winter Permit System is still in effect in Rogers Pass / Glacier National Park. Avalanche control is anticipated this week, so please continue to check the Winter Restricted Area Status and ensure you have the appropriate permits before heading out for the day.

For more information:

http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/glacier/index.aspx

http://www.pc.gc.ca/apps/scond/cond_e.asp?oid=16516&opark=100205

Thank you, 

Danyelle Magnan

ACMG ASG

Parks Canada Avalanche Technician

Mt Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks

[MCR] Clachnacudainn Icefields, Mt Revelstoke NP

A Parks Canada Visitor Safety group spent the last 4 days in the Clachnacudainn Icefields of Mt Revelstoke National Park. During this time, we saw (or didn't see) several days of poor visibility with one day of bluebird skies. On the clear day, Inverness Peaks and Mt Coursier were ascended and skied from their respective summits.

Snowpack: The snowpack on the glaciers is in excess of 4m with only the largest of crevasses still exhibiting some sagging bridges. Soft storm slabs formed in the alpine and at tree-line on Saturday when 15-20cm of snow fell with moderate SW winds. These were settling out rapidly with the mild temperatures and becoming stubborn to trigger today. The snowpack below the storm layer was very well-settled, a typical Spring scenario, and we had no concerns of deeper weak layers in this region. On northern aspects, skiing was dry powder to 1800m, moist below this elevation. 

Avalanches: Solar aspects were continually spitting out loose moist to wet avalanches to size 2 when the sun did come out, especially in the heat of the day. At the peak of the precipitation and wind event yesterday, several loose avalanches were observed from N aspects, but this had settled out this morning.

This is a fine place for the keen skiers out there that haven't had their fill of winter. There was some foresight 100 years ago when they made this a park... Happy 100th Birthday, Mt Revelstoke!

Parks Canada Visitor Safety

Mt Revelstoke and Glacier National Parks

[MCR] Curtain Call, April 26th, 2014

I climbed curtain call today with a friend. The route was still in good shape. Soft, plastic ice and the line we climbed was mostly dry. 

It was -2 when we left the car at 830 and we had good travel to the route on a supportive crust. Overcast skies kept things cool and it was 3 degrees when we were driving away at 2 pm. The crust was breaking down, but the packed trail was still supportive for our descent. 

The line we climbed felt WI5-ish with the crux being ~10m of slightly hollow sounding pillar below an obvious crack on the upper pillar pitch. Good pro was easy to find throughout the rest of the climb. 

Other climbs that we noticed that appeared to be climbable:

• Polar circus - getting sun baked but might be ok with cold temps and a very early start
• Tangle falls - still climbable but looks pretty sun affected
• Echo madness
• Shades of Beauty
• Cadeau Cache and Damocles area still looked fairly blue

Ian Jackson

ACMG Mountain Guide

[MCR] Photos of White Pyramid, Banff National Park, April 25th

From: Olivia Sofer <osofer@battleabbey.ca>
Date: Saturday, 26 April, 2014 3:14 PM
To: Kirsten Knechtel <kirsten.knechtel@gmail.com>
Subject: 3 great iPhotos yesterday for MCR

IMG_1628

 

IMG_1633

 

IMG_1636

 

[MCR] (MCR) Cathedral Peak & White Pyramid, Banff Park April 23-25

Chad Rigby, Olivia Sofer, Carla Demyen and I skied in the rockies for the last couple of days.  We had some great spring conditions particularly on the last 2 days with good overnight freezes.  As a summary in the mornings we had a solidly frozen melt freeze crust which broke down in the afternoon below 6000ft.  There was 3-10cm of new snow on north aspects over a hard surface.  The isolated wind slabs from April 23rd were no longer reactive to skiers but I suspect it could be possible to trigger a small wind slab on a steep unsupported lee feature.  Steep south & east facing slopes were running with loose wet snow early in the morning as the sun heated them up.  There is significant potential for large cornice releases with day time heating and solar radiation.  Several old slab avalanches were seen (from the last 48hrs) in steep/ extreme unsupported terrain on lee features to size 2.  One old sz 3 deep slab realease could be seen in the Freshfield group on a 45 plus degree face, E aspect . 

Divide Creek- April 23rd 

  We had a superficial overnight freeze with breakable crust in the lower valley.  Strong to extreme E winds turned us around at 8500ft when we could not tell the difference between blowing snow and an avalanche.    There were 20-50cm wind slabs on the upper glacier.  Overall a challenging weather day with terrible skiing!

Cathedral Mountain- April 24th  A strong overnight freeze with 2-3cm of new snow on the surface allowed for easy travel without ski crampons at lower elevations.  With a clear morning the solar radiation was intense on steep S & SE aspects and there were numerous loose wet avalanches from extreme terrain to sz 1.5.  We would recommend a very early start for this mountain on a clear day as there is overhead hazard from S & SE slopes until just below the glacier.  Above 8500ft there were isolated 10-30cm windslabs in lee features.  

  We descended the N gully which had variable thin wind slabs.  There is a short ice cliff that required a rappel.  The skiing out the lower moraines was great with 5cm of dry snow that gradually became moist over a hard base.  We were careful to stay in the supported and thick snowpack areas in this area.  Below 6000ft the snowpack became isothermal in the afternoon and we stuck with the old ski tracks so we didn't break through into the wet snow.  

  We were impressed with the change of conditions from the day before as the conditions were excellent and the skiing was fun from top to bottom.  

White Pyramid- April 25th  Again a strong overnight freeze led to easy travel in the lower elevations.  The moraines to 7000ft were rock hard and icy so ski crampons are potentially needed.  There is overhead hazard from the east facing slopes and huge cornices so a very early start is recommended.  We saw numerous loose wet avalanches to sz 2 but no slab avalanches.  We hugged the NW facing side of the valley above 7500ft to minimize the exposure to overhead cornices.  This ski tour was in great shape overall with fast travel and 3-10cm of cold snow on north aspects above 7000ft.  We boot packed the upper ridge to the summit which was easy with minimal foot penetration.  We were happy to have brought our ice axes for the summit ridge.    

Have a great spring!

Kirsten

Kirsten Knechtel

Mountain Guide

--

[MCR] Whistler Creek, Marmot Backside, Jasper area.

I dropped off the top of Marmot Peak yesterday and skied a mellow
line into Whistler creek. Cold conditions were evident with good
skiing down a low angle basin into the head of Whistler creek.

There was approximately 10cm of newer dry snow which carried well in
the upper 2/3 of the run down to treeline.
A melt freeze crust could then be felt under the new snow from
treeline down into the head of the drainage
Once on the trail, good easy cruising and skating carried you over
the flat sections and down the creek.

Some natural activity was observed on the steep south facing slopes
of Indian ridge. This was a loose dry size 1 sluff. No other new
activity was observed on north facing slopes.

Great spring conditions with some good winter skiing on north
aspects. South aspects seem to be holding together and with proper
timing there is some good corn snow to be found. Shallow areas at
lower elevations seem to be getting isothermal (wet and bottomless)
in the late afternoons.

Peter Amann.



Peter Amann
Mountain Guide
pamann@incentre.net

[MCR] Mount Athabasca and Athabasca Glacier Photos, April 23, 2014

I snapped some photos of Mount Athabasca, Andromeda and the Athabasca Glacier/Icefall on April 23^rd.  They can be found here:  https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.539615792816514.1073741841.371381489639946&type=3

 

Regards,

 

Jordy Shepherd

ACMG / IFMGA Mountain Guide

Web: www.PeakAlpine.com

 

[MCR] Mistaya Lodge & North Wapta conditions report

The Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide Program conducted a Ski Guide Exam in the Rockies 13-21 April. Here is a summary of the latter half of the exam conducted out of Mistaya Lodge from the 18-20 April.

The weather was generally unsettled ‎with daily snowfall amounts of 5-10 cm at treeline and up to 20 cm in the alpine. Winds were moderate to strong SW at ridge-top. Temperatures ranged from 0 at treeline to -10 in the alpine. We had good overnight crust recovery every day. It was mostly cloudy or overcast which reduced solar effect. 

Snowpack and avalanche concerns: ‎We primarily travelled on north aspects at treeline and above. Total snowpack depths averaged 250-300+ cm. Overall glacier coverage was deep and well consolidated. The new snow bonded well to the old surfaces. Midpack was dense and basal facets were widespread. Isolated windslabs on lee features. Cornices are large and looming.

We observed very few avalanches however we expect that when the sun pops out and begins heating slopes conditions will rapidly change. Once cornices begin dropping, they may trigger the basal facets creating full depth avalanches.

Ski quality was generally quite good on the northerly aspects with cold dry snow and 10-20 cm of ski penetration. Windward aspects were predictably lower quality and we avoided solar slopes. 

Ken Bélanger
on behalf ‎of 2014 Rockies CMSG Ski Guide exam candidates 

Sent from my iDon't care what kind of phone you have

[MCR] Cirque Peak, Banff Park April 20,2014

We skied up the highway side of Cirque Peak today, April 20th. A number of snow squalls kept the solar radiation at bay, and resulted in about 10cm of fresh snow that skied very well, all the way down to the highway.

We didn't observe any avalanche activity while we skied, but on the drive south down highway 93N in the early afternoon the sun was out and solar releases were starting to happen.

Jordy Shepherd
ACMG / IFMGA 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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] Whistler & Duffy lake conditions April 11-18th

Thompson Rivers University just finished administering a Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide program/ACMG  Full Ski Exam in the Whistler & Duffey Lake Area.

Weather

The week started off with freezing levels up to 2600m, with moist snow on all aspects except due North above 2200m, during this time we found excellent overnight recoveries. On Wednesday April 15th, it started snowing and blowing, burying the melt freeze crust up to 30cm of snow in lee areas and at ridge tops. 

Snowpack & Avalanche Concerns

At the beginning of the week we were concerned with Feb 10th and Basal weaknesses, after noting a size 3 on Mt Matier N Face which is suspected to have slid on the Feb 10th and also stepped down to Glacial ice. Throughout the week and after more observations we gained confidence and were only concerned with loose wet avalanches due to daytime warming and solar effect.  On Wednesday when it began to snow, our main concerns where soft slabs developing in the Alpine with Mod SW winds, and by Friday April 18th slabs were noticeably more touchy and few skier accidentals size 1-2 were observed from other parties.  

Hazards

With daytime warming cornices failures had been a concern all week, although we also had been concerned for specific areas where a cornice could trigger the deeper instabilities with large load (shallow rocky areas more likely with cornice failure). This spring the glaciers have less snow than in past years, with generally around 300cm's, but this can be variable with shallow areas on wind exposed convexities.

General Comments

At the beginning of the week we skied aggressive terrain to 45 degrees, but by the end of the week with all the recent storm snow we became more cautious and skied more moderately  angle terrain. We found great corn skiing on solar aspects, but with the recent refresh of up to 30cm's new snow it will take a few sunny days for this come back into shape. Currently there is some great powder skiing on polar aspects (NE-NW) above 1900m. 

Have a safe and fun rest of the spring. 

Thompson Rivers University Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide program  Full ski exam candidates and Instructors  

[MCR] Albert Icefield area - Selkirk Mts

The Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide Program conducted a Ski Guide Exam at
Selkirk Lodge April 11-19. What follows is a summary of relevant
conditions the team encountered.

Weather: The week's weather can best be summarized as typical Spring
variability.
The week started cold and clear with strong solar influence that started
to create some great spring corn conditions on southerly aspects while
preserving powder skiing on high northerly slopes. Mid-week the
high-pressure was replaced by a few days of warmer conditions, convective
spring snow storms that deposited 10-20cm of snow, occasional bursts of
intense sun and poor overnight freezes. Freezing levels were between
1600-1900m most of the middle of the week, with moist snow developing to
mountain tops / 2600m on solar aspects and 2200m on northerly aspects. On
the 18th a more substantial storm deposited 20 cm of light snow with
Moderate Westerly winds overnight and into the morning of the 19th. The
week ended as it had begun - with a ridge of high-pressure and cold clear
conditions.

Snowpack: In general this region of the Selkirks continues to have a
well-settled snowpack above 2000m with surface instabilities settling
rapidly with warm temperatures. Greater concern for solar aspects - and
the affect of the sun on the snowpack on warm days - were themes of the
week.

Surface: 30 cm of snow from the week can be found above treeline / 2000m
and is settling rapidly with warm temperatures. Wind affect, wind ripples
and isolated wind slabs exist at ridgetop and Alpine features from the
moderate Westerly wind on the 19th. A variety of Melt/Freeze crusts exist
on all aspects up to 2200m and sun crusts are present on solar aspects to
mountain top / 2600m. Below 2000m the top 30-50cm of the snow pack was
turning isothermal - which is a type of wet snow that kind of resembles a
slurpee.
Mid-pack: The mid snowpack is well settled on northerly aspects and has a
series of buried sun crusts on solar aspects. A couple of sun-crusts
produced resistant hard test results down 50 and 90-110cm or no results.
Low-pack: Deeper persistent layers exist but were dormant at the time of
the exam. Concern for these layers is most notable in shallow snow pack
regions.

Avalanche Observations: We observed no significant Slab avalanches during
the week. We did observe widespread wet loose snow from intense sun early
in the week from steep solar aspects which tapered off mid-week with
increased cloud cover. 2 small wind slabs were ski cut in isolated
southerly ridge features mid-week from a period of reverse loading from
Northerly winds. Numerous loose / dry small avalanches were observed on
the 18th from 20cm of snow and one wind slab from steep unsupported
terrain on the morning of the 19th.

Areas that we avoided
Heavily crevassed areas of the Justice Glacier - including some areas that
have been standard ski lines on other years but this year continue to have
visible open crevasses and saggy snow bridges.
Cornice exposed areas. These are more prevalent on the NE ridges.
Shallow snowpack areas where we had a concern for triggering large
destructive avalanches on the persistent weak layers.

Areas that we skied
We found excellent ski conditions all week and skied most standard alpine
bowls, glaciated and TL ski lines in the Selkirk Lodge Tenure - and a few
steeper alpine features up to 50 degrees. The best skiing continued to be
found on northerly alpine features above 2000m. However, southerly aspects
also presented some great ski conditions when skied at the right time.


Cecelia Mortenson


ACMG Alpine and Apprentice Ski Guide
CAA L2


via

Peter Tucker
Executive Director
B: +1.403.949.3587
M: +1.403.689.4324
ed@acmg.ca | www.acmg.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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] Observations Bow Hut Area

Observations relevant in region of Bow Hut from April 15 to the 17th.

 

Unsettled weather with periods of snow and gusty west, south west winds approximately 15 cm total accumulation for the period.

 

Observed wide spread cycle of loose dry avalanches to size 1.0 on afternoon of April 16th north and easterly aspects reacting to wind loading on ridge tops and occasional solar input with sunny breaks.

 

A few slab avalanches observed up to size 2.0 difficult to estimate age likely within past week N and E aspects 2800 – 2600 m failure level to ground flanking terrain features maximum 50 m in width obvious cornice triggers. 

 

Wind transporting snow and mild air temperatures above 2200 m have formed a stiffer soft slab as of the 17th.  Ski quality is very good on the Bow and Little Crowfoot Glaciers.  Snow depth ranged from 250 to over 300 cm on Bow Glacier with ski pen averaging 10 cm in new snow or wind affected surfaces.  Little Crowfoot Glacier snow depth ranged from 110 to 250 cm and observed surface conditions to be slightly more sheltered from wind affect as compared to the Bow area.

 

Travel in the canyon is good, sections with open water beginning to form.  Observed some loose moist surface activity from canyon walls during area departure on the 17th induced by daytime warming.

 

Skiing in the area is very good and recommended, visibility on upper elevation routes and peaks the primary challenge observed during our trip.  

 

Mark Vesely

ASG

 

 

 

[MCR] Large unexpected avalanche in the Rockies

Just a heads up for folks that are still out in the backcountry. Parks
Canada avalanche forecasters received a report from a very experienced
party yesterday of a large remotely triggered deep slab avalanche in
Kootenay National Park. This avalanche was out of character with the
conditions we have been seeing in Banff, Yoho and Kootenay lately and was a
surprise to the forecasting team as well as many avalanche professionals in
the area.

It was on a SW aspect between 2650 m and 2100 on Mt Whymper. It
occurred at 1230 as a group of three entered a thin snowpack area as they
finished bootpacking a steep section to the Whymper high col. They had been
bootpacking up a supportive 10cm thick melt freeze crust and feeling
confident in the slope stability. Temperatures were cool (-5) and mostly
cloudy. Just before they triggered the avalanche, the sun had popped out
and the solar radiation was intense for a short time, although this didn't seem to have any affect on the crust. As they approached the col they heard a whumph, and a
few seconds later they saw the slope they had just bootpacked rip out to
ground, size 3.5.

Parks Canada forecasters went on a field trip today to check out the slide.
The debris field was 200m by 500m and 1-3m deep with hard, blocky debris.
See pictures of the avalanche here.

This event seems to be an anomaly, and we don't expect widespread avalanche activity on this layer until we get a significant warm up. However, this event indicates that it is still possible for a skiier/climber to trigger the deep basal facets and although the probability of triggering is low, the consequences are huge.  Just because you have a strong, supportive surface crust, doesn't mean you can't trigger the weak layer from a thin spot.

Keep this event in mind as you are skiing in the Rockies this spring.

Stay safe!

Parks Canada Visitor Safety Team

Banff, Yoho & Kootenay National Parks

www.parksmountainsafety.ca

[MCR] Little Howse Peak

Parks Canada forecasters did a trip to Little Howse Peak today near
Chephren Lake.


Weather:
High overcast turning into light flurries midday, very little accumulation.
Temperatures hovered around -3 at 2300m.

Avalanche activity:
No new avalanche activity observed in the area we travelled. There was
evidence of previous wet and loose avalanches up to size 2 from the last
major warming spell on solar aspects. Because of less than predicted snow
accumulation and cool temperatures we rated todays avalanche danger at
three times low.

Ski conditions:
Generally, travel conditions are excellent. There was a supportive
melt/freeze crust on all aspects except true north today. Crossing lakes
was surprisingly pleasant with a bit of double poling. Ski crampons seemed
crucial on steep due west aspects, however, a little athletic boot packing
would be an option as well. A real mix of breakable crust and boot top
soft snow on the descent to Chephren Lake. The scenery certainly made up
for the lacklustre downhill ski conditions.

(See attached file: Little Howse.jpg)

Parks Canada
Visitor Safety

[MCR] Mt Hector, Rockies, April 14 2014

I skied Mt Hector today, April 14. Good travel conditions and some good skiing. The lower headwall at treeline was good boot packing on firm snow. There was variable snow depth with some ice showing on the glacier. Ski crampons were useful for the steeper rolls on the glacier. Boot crampons are required to reach the summit. No evidence of new avalanches in the last 48 hours.

Larry Dolecki 

IFMGA Mountain Guide

[MCR] Mt Collier North Glacier, Rockies, April 14, 2014

Parks Visitor Safety did a trip to the North Glacier/North Peak of Mt Collier today.

Weather: 
Clear skies and another solid overnight freeze (-9'C at 0630 at the parking lot, and -8'C at the summit). Light northwest winds at ridgetop kept things cool for most of the day even on South aspects. +8'C at the Lake O'hara parking lot at 1430.

Avalanche activity: 
No new avalanche activity observed in the area we skied.  A few moist sluffs observed on steep south aspects on the drive home.

Ski conditions: 
A supportive melt-freeze crust up to 2300m on all aspects. Ski crampons were useful. Above this 5-10cm of recent snow sits on top of a firm base on North aspects with wind effect in exposed areas. Minimal sluffing in steep terrain while skiing. Good corn skiing on SW aspects on the descent. The melt freeze crust remained supportive all day, even at lower elevations.

Glacier coverage: 
Bare ice is still showing on the toe, near the top, and in several other sections of the glacier. Other areas have only 10-20cm of recent snow covering the glacier ice. We ascended the NE Ridge to the North Summit rather than climb the ice below the summit. Steel crampons, a good ice axe and ice screws are all useful. The central glacier ski lines are very thinly covered halfway down and we had to traverse off to the side at this point to avoid skiing 5-10cm of powder over glacier ice.  Because of the thin snow cover on the glacier and the amount of bare glacier ice I don't think I would recommend the route at this time.

We rated the avalanche danger as low at all elevations with our primary concerns being cornice failures and wet loose avalanches from daytime heating in the late afternoon. Excellent spring travel conditions!

 

Conrad Janzen
ACMG  Mountain Guide
Visitor Safety, Banff, Yoho, Kootenay National Parks

 

[MCR] Sale Mountain, Selkirks - April 10-13

Hi Folks,

I just got back from 4 days in the Sale Mountain region north of Revelstoke, BC.

Weather

In general the weather was cool. Overnight lows around -5 to -8, day time highs of 1. North aspects stayed cold and dry down to 1700m.  We received 5-10cm of new snow with light winds on the night of April 10 and it was still cold smoke on the north when we left yesterday morning.  Some minor sun effect on south aspects but in general we were surprised at how cool even the south stayed during the entire duration of our trip.  Of note was a northerly flow on April 12 with moderate winds from the north in the evening.  We did not observe any significant loading where we were but suspect there could be some, especially at higher elevations.

Snowpack

In general quite a well settled spring snowpack in the areas we observed.  We skied from 2250m down to 1500m and did not find any significant weaknesses in the snowpack in the areas we travelled.  We skied primarily north and north east facing terrain but even the south skied really well on the few short runs we did on those aspects.  The crust on the south skied like Nakiska with 5cm of new snow on it - really quite fun and fast!

The only hazard that we encountered was a small pocket of windslab(30m x 30m x 30cm deep) sitting on top of a crust with some facets on a short boot pack to the top of a small peak (2200m) on a NW facing slope.  It produced moderate test results with resistant fractures.

Hazard

We rated the hazard as Moderate in the Alpine (we did not ski in the alpine), Low at Treeline, Low Below Treeline.  We were thinking about daytime warming but never observed any significant heating - not even snowballing on the solar aspects.

Fun Factor

We rated the fun factor as 3 times awesome, a really good spring skiing trip in the Selkirks.  Except for the ski out on the Sale Mountain snowmobile trails - they were frozen hard all the way to the parking lot - at least one of us was happy to have their helmet ski touring, I wished I had brought mine.

Ian Tomm

Ski Guide
mmotnai@gmail.com

[MCR] White Pyramid, Banff National Park, April 13th, 2014

Four members of Parks Canada Visitor Safety skiied White Pyramid today. Here is what we found:

Weather:
Great freeze overnight (-15 at 0700 at the parking) and a bluebird, calm day. Light north wind at ridgetop kept things cold on the summit. +2 at the parking lot at 1330 and the crust was starting to break down on solar aspects at lower elevations.

Avalanche activity:
Minor sluffing out of steep solar terrain, but things were holding together quite well when we left at 1330.

Ski conditions:
5-10cm of low density snow on top of a temperature crust below 2000m and a firm base above.  Excellent, fast powder skiing with minimal sluffing in steep terrain.

Glacier coverage:
90- 300cm on the summit glacier with crevasses and sags visible, but where we skiied, the bridges felt strong.

We rated the avalanche danger low at all elevations with our primary concerns being cornice failures and wet loose avalanches from daytime heating.

Ian Jackson
ACMG Mountain Guide
Visitor Safety Technician | Technicien Sécurité de Visiteurs
Banff, Yoho, Kootenay National Parks | Parcs Natiounaux Banff, Yoho, Kootenay
Parks Canada | Parcs Canada
www.parksmountainsafety.ca | www.parcsecuritemontagne.ca

experience PROPER AWESOME / vivez l'expérience: PUREMENT GÉNIAL

[MCR] Roger's Pass and Benedict Creek

Observations from Rogers Pass and Benedict Ck. April 4-12

ACMG Ski Guide Exam

 

Weekly Summary

 

Weather

The week consisted of mostly overcast to broken sky conditions.  With convective activity we received about 5cm of new snow per day in the alpine through the week, bringing HST up to 40-45cm over the April 2^nd interface.  Winds were generally light to moderate with periods of strong from the SW-NW.  FZLV started off around 1700m lowering towards the end of the week to 1200m.  We experienced alpine lows of -10c and high’s of 0c.

 

Snowpack & Avalanche Concerns

As the week started the layers of concern were April 2^nd, Mar 22 & Mar 2^nd in the upper snowpack, and with the Feb 10^th & basal facets below.  On April 6^th a Sc sz 1.5 on a Westerly aspect at 2200m below Perly Rock illustrated the weakness of the April 2^nd layer on solar aspects.  As the week continued we gained confidence in these upper snowpack layers.

 Moderate westerly winds through the week re-distributed the recent HST, creating WSL in isolated lee features and near ridgelines that bonded well to old surfaces. Rising freezing levels through the day brought moist snow up 1800m creating a supportive crust in the am with diurnal swings.

Several whumphs were felt through the week in shallow snowpack areas near moraines in the alpine.  The snowpack stability and avalanche hazard improved through the week starting off with Fair Stability and Considerable Hazard, trending to VG/Moderate by April 12^th.

 

 

Hazards & Concerns

Crevasse hazard was greater than usual for this time of the year due to variable distribution of HS in the alpine, and warm previous summer.  For example the Illecillewaet & Bonney Glaciers have much bigger and more exposed crevasses than usual.   Cornices are well developed and continued to grow and fail through the week.  Otherwise flat light in the alpine with wind lips/scoops and variable surface conditions created minor hazard to ski traffic.

 

General Comments

We generally skied in the alpine through the week up to 2750m trying to avoid skiing below 1600m.  As we built confidence in the snowpack towards the end of the week we skied ALP & TL terrain to 48 deg.  We primarily skied on northerly aspects through the week.  We feel that we have a well settled Spring snowpack, and that great skiing can be found on northerly aspects TL & above.

 

Daniel Morton

Lucas Holtzman

[MCR] Roger's Pass and Benedict Creek

Observations from Rogers Pass and Benedict Ck. April 4-12

ACMG Ski Guide Exam

 

Weekly Summary

 

Weather

The week consisted of mostly overcast to broken sky conditions.  With convective activity we received about 5cm of new snow per day in the alpine through the week, bringing HST up to 40-45cm over the April 2^nd interface.  Winds were generally light to moderate with periods of strong from the SW-NW.  FZLV started off around 1700m lowering towards the end of the week to 1200m.  We experienced alpine lows of -10c and high’s of 0c.

 

Snowpack & Avalanche Concerns

As the week started the layers of concern were April 2^nd, Mar 22 & Mar 2^nd in the upper snowpack, and with the Feb 10^th & basal facets below.  On April 6^th a Sc sz 1.5 on a Westerly aspect at 2200m below Perly Rock illustrated the weakness of the April 2^nd layer on solar aspects.  As the week continued we gained confidence in these upper snowpack layers.

 Moderate westerly winds through the week re-distributed the recent HST, creating WSL in isolated lee features and near ridgelines that bonded well to old surfaces. Rising freezing levels through the day brought moist snow up 1800m creating a supportive crust in the am with diurnal swings.

Several whumphs were felt through the week in shallow snowpack areas near moraines in the alpine.  The snowpack stability and avalanche hazard improved through the week starting off with Fair Stability and Considerable Hazard, trending to VG/Moderate by April 12^th.

 

 

Hazards & Concerns

Crevasse hazard was greater than usual for this time of the year due to variable distribution of HS in the alpine, and warm previous summer.  For example the Illecillewaet & Bonney Glaciers have much bigger and more exposed crevasses than usual.   Cornices are well developed and continued to grow and fail through the week.  Otherwise flat light in the alpine with wind lips/scoops and variable surface conditions created minor hazard to ski traffic.

 

General Comments

We generally skied in the alpine through the week up to 2750m trying to avoid skiing below 1600m.  As we built confidence in the snowpack towards the end of the week we skied ALP & TL terrain to 48 deg.  We primarily skied on northerly aspects through the week.  We feel that we have a well settled Spring snowpack, and that great skiing can be found on northerly aspects TL & above.

 

Daniel Morton

Lucas Holtzman

[MCR] Purcells: Glacier Creek

The Apprentice Ski Guide Exam spent April 5-8 in Glacier creek in the Purcell range. 

We experienced generally mild temps with good travel and ski conditions from the 5th –7th. The weather was largely convective and deposited up to 30 cms of new snow. This was accompanied by moderate to strong winds that varied from SW –NW. This moved the new snow around and created some soft wind slabs at ridgeline and in lee features as well as added to the already significant cornices.

 

These windslabs were one of our main avalanche concerns for the week. Our other concern was the February 10th persistant weak layer which we felt would be possible to trigger from shallow and/ or rocky areas, as well as with large triggers like cornice falls. Some whumphing was noted from shallow ridgeline and moraine areas indicating that the weak layer is still prone to failure.

 

Coverage on the glaciers was quite good with the average snow depth being 350 cms but many areas had well over 400 cms. Many crevasses were well bridged and the deep snowpack areas felt stiff. We skied supported terrain up to 40 degrees and avoided overhead hazard such as cornices or large slopes particularly ones that had sun exposure.

 

A warm front came in overnight on the 7th and the freezing levels spiked to 2800m on the 8th. It turned to spring almost instantly and made for very challenging ski conditions on all but the high north facing terrain.  This also created an avalanche cycle up to size 2.5 on all but north aspects.

 

The night of the 8th brought significant precipitation and although we didnt ski on the 9th one could assume that there was once again some good skiing to be found on moderate angle terrain away from overhead hazard.

 

Jeff Relph

Mountain Guide

on behalf of the CMSG Apprentice Ski Guide exam

[MCR] Rockies April 6-8

Observations from the ASG exam in the Rockies from April 6-8
Terrain: Mt Field, Cirque Peak, Mt Olive, Observation Peak, Mt Crowfoot

Snowpack: HS at treeline on avarage 150 cm but highly variable, in the Alpine reaching 300 cm but highly variable.
In Alpine , recent strong wind has created isolated windslabs in immediate lee which overlays 20-30 cm of unconsolidated snow, this is sitting over strong mid pack but resting on a very weak basal layer of facets and depth hoar.

Wx: We experienced temps from -10 to freezing level raising to 2400 m yesterday. The last three days had the accumulation of up to 5cm of new snow and protected areas kept the skiing good in sheltered areas.
Moderate to strong winds in the past three days from the SW.

Avy: Main concern is still the deep persistent weak layers in the basal facets and depth hoar. With bigger loads, i.e. cornice failures, skiers in shallow snow pack areas and/or warming these layers could become reactive again.

Hias Ahrens and the ASG exam team



_______________________________________________
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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
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[MCR] Freshfield Icefield, Rockies, April 1st-8th, 2014

I spent the last seven days in the Freshfield Icefield/ Mummery glacier area with a couple friends. We camped at 2650m NE of the Helmer/ Gilgit col and skiied between 3200 and 2200m. Here is what we found:

Weather: 

It started off cold, clear and calm on April 1st followed by mixed convective clouds on the 3rd and 4th. A storm on the 5th and 6th dropped 60-100 cm of snow with moderate west winds at ridgetop. A weak ridge of high pressure moved in on the 7th and 8th which brought strong to extreme west/ northwest winds and caused widespread wind effect in the alpine. Temperatures at camp (2650m) gradually warmed from -20 on the night of the 1st to 0 on the morning of the 8th. 

Avalanche activity:

On the flight in we noticed several fresh slabs to size 2.5 on S-W aspects in thin snowpack terrain. We also saw evidence of an older cycle on polar aspects that had come out during the last storm primarily out of steep terrain and with cornice triggers. Compression and deep tap tests indicated hard sudden planar results down 120cm at the previous storm interface (mid March). When the winds picked up towards the end of the week, we saw several cornice failures/ serac falls triggering fresh windslabs up to 40cm deep. 

Glacier conditions:

Snowpack on the ice was well over 3.5m in all areas probed except for thin/ scoured areas (ridges) where we probed 2.5m. Lots of large open crevasses and bergschrunds on these glaciers. The upper snowpack was fairly unconsolidated (you had to go down 1.5-2m before getting into denser snow), which had us wary of weak, recently bridged crevasses. 

Ski quality:

Excellent at the beginning of the week deteriorating as the winds/ warm temperatures came in towards the end of the week. We were mostly limited by poor visibility as there are few rocks for reference and all the terrain had some sort of crevasse hazard to negotiate, which was difficult in poor light.

A beautiful area with lots of ski mountaineering objectives and steep ski lines. If you're planning a trip into this area soon and want more info, feel free to contact me. 

Ian Jackson

ACMG Mountain Guide

iantomasjackson@gmail.com

[MCR] Hwy 93N Conditions

With friends, I drove the Icefields Parkway between Canmore and Tangle Ridge.

At 0600h temps ranged from 6C in Canmore to -2C at Castle Jct to 4C at the Icefields.

At 1400h temps ranged from 4C at the Icefields to 2C at Parker's Ridge to 13C at Castle Jct.

On the drive back, we observed numerous new avalanches that had occurred during our morning recreation, to sz 2.5 on predominantly lee aspects. The cloud cover was mainly overcast this morning. We also drove through scattered rain and snow showers with limited accumulation. The forecasted spring cycle is here and active.

Brent Peters
Alpine Guide
Yamnuska.com

Sent from my iPhone
_______________________________________________
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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] Adamant Range, Selkirk Mountains, March 29- April 5, 2014

Just returned from a fun week of powder skiing out of the Fairy Meadows hut with the Alpine Club of Canada.

We had between 50-70cm of fresh snow through the week with generally light W to SW winds and temps between -12'C and +2'C at treeline.  We observed sluffing on steep N facing terrain up to size 2 during the storms; some solar triggered sluffing and storm slabs on very steep S aspects up to size 2.5; and two size 2.5 to 3 deep slabs mid-week on very steep glaciated North aspects around 2800m which we suspect occurred on the Feb 10th layer. 

The upper 2m of snow was bonding well on N aspects with no significant shears found. We did not observe the Feb 10th layer in snow pits but remained cautious about areas with a thinner snowpack or rocky outcrops and minimized overhead hazard. Some weaknesses were found on buried sun crusts on S aspects. 

The snowpack at treeline was between 250-300cm. While there are more crevasses visible than in other years, the average snowpack on the glaciers is between 300-400cm of firm snow. Most snow bridges were in good shape and glacier travel was straight forward. NW winds have loaded the terrain a little differently this year but the standard ski lines and routes over the Gothic Glacier, through Friendship Col, across the Granite Glacier, and over the Enterprise and Forbes glaciers are all in good shape. Access up the Granite glacier to Adamant and Austerity looks a little more challenging than usual and Pioneer Pass had some options for travel but was not in great shape.

This morning we called the hazard Considerable in the alpine, Moderate at treeline and Low below tree line with cautions for wind loading, solar triggered slides, and lingering concerns about the deep persistent weaknesses that may be present in the snowpack.

Great late winter ski conditions!

--

Conrad Janzen, Lydia Marmont, Jeff Mitchell and Emilie Stenberg

ACMG Guides

++Alpine Club of Canada

[MCR] Little Commonwealth loop, K-Country, AB Rockies

Out for a short tour this morning to get the legs moving.  Temps were mild but still below freezing, although it felt cooler with a moderate-strong wind blowing out of the west and sometimes limited visibility.  There was 10-15 cm of low density snow on the surface above 2000 metres (more on lee aspects) and it snowed lightly most of the tour.  The snow was light and dry until the sun made an appearance for less than 10 minutes and zapped it into a "cakey" feel.  Spring is springing...  Still good skiing, but slabs were beginning to form on lee features.  Recent old tracks are pretty firm under the new snow.

An impressive, spooky slab ripped out in the last day or two below The Fist (photo).  Cross-loaded slope, SE aspect.

Ken Bélanger

topcog@gmail.com

TopCog Adventures | guiding & adventure travel

ACMG ASG, CAA Pro

[MCR] Selkirks, Roger's Pass, Apr 2-3

we spent the last two days in the Asulkan drainage & Little Sifton regions. things are still relatively winter like above 2200m & good skiing was found on more Northerly aspects.

on Apr 2 we headed up towards Saphire Col via the Mousetrap. AM conditions found a firm trail to above the Mouse Trap (1600m) and then improved to dry snow with no crust above 2000m in the shaded areas. coverage on the glacier was over 3m of snow in areas checked, but numerous sags & open crevasses are visible. we treated the snow bridges with a healthy dose of caution & remained roped up for the majority of travel over ice. we headed up Castor peak & found extensive wind loading & cornices along the ridge. boot packing was deep in facets & new snow, with sections waist deep. looking South along the ridge towards Pollux & Leda, conditions appeared similar and travel would most likely be quite slow. we returned down through the tree triangle & enjoyed great skiing with ski pen about 20cm on average.

skies stayed mostly cloudy with some flurry activity with 5cm of accumulation. temps were mild but stayed below freezing. solar input (sunshine) was a minimum & no moist snow was encountered above 2000m. winds were moderate thru the Col & were transporting the snow into immediate lee features. no shears (hand shear tests) were found in the top 50cm, nor any results occurred from ski cuts. some isolated small soughs have occurred out of steep (40 deg or more) terrain.

Apr 3 we did the Little Sifton traverse. the track up Grizzly shoulder is very firm & slick. ski crampons are strongly advised. on that aspect below treeline a 5-10cm melt freeze crust is present. we were getting clean but hard (to trigger) shears under this layer. above treeline on the sunny aspects, a 2-4 cm crust was present under 5cm of new snow.

skiing down into the Hermit had great turns down to the toe of the glacier, and then careful use of subtle aspect features (looking for areas shaded from the sun & free form overhead hazard) had more good turns down to 2100m. from there to 1800m, unsupportive & breakable crust was predominate and skiing sporty. below 1800m skiing improved with the crust being supportive. about 100m above the hi way elevation the snow became moist & grabby.

weather was similar to Apr 2nd with less wind & no snow transport noted.

all in all some good spring skiing to be had with careful consideration of what has been sun effected, and where the good snow still remains. we strongly recommend throwing the ski crampons in the pack - it will make life easier on the lower elevation skin tracks.

happy turns!

dave healey, sg
adam burrell, asg
_______________________________________________
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.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from this list.

[MCR] Avalanche Control Mt Buller, Kananaskis Country April 2nd

Kananaskis Public Safety will be doing avalanche control on Mt Buller on HWY 742 today at 13:00-15:00pm.  The road will be closed briefly during this time.

 

Please no skiing or climbing in this area during this time.  See attachment to see location of control work.

 

Kananaskis Country Public Safety Program

twitter.com/KCPublicSafety

www.facebook.com/KCPublicSafety

 

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