[MCR] **JUNK** Crowfoot Glades, Rockies, Dec 7

we a pleasant day at Crowfoot Glades skiing some of the shorter pitches up on the moraines. coverage is good for this time of year, with snow depths above thresh hold (covering ground obstacles & anchors) below tree line.

we did observe 2 settlements within the trees and another party reported several in the talus of the moraine features. we also did a compression test & observed 2 hard results in the November 24th facet layer. both shears performed with a sudden collapse characteristic. with these observations and the Banff National Park hazard rating of Considerable for Alpine & Treeline, we chose to ski conservative, well supported lines that had no risk of overhead hazard.

there are numerous tracks in this location, especially in the trees and finding fresh lines was somewhat challenging.

we did notice that there are some recent ski tracks in one of the planar slopes below Crowfoot mountain. it is possible that folks may be pushing into higher hazard terrain due to the lack of skiable lines in the more conservative choices. this is a challenge we all face early in the season when we are all keen to enjoy turns. it is sometimes difficult to remember that it is still early season & we need to let the snowpack have time to settle, especially with the weak basal layers that were formed in November of this year.

have fun everybody & ski smart!

dave healey
acmg sg
www.yamunska.com
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