I had a good look at Takakkaw Falls on Monday. Pictures are attached, and I thought the climb looked in good shape. Also skied past the picnic shelter at the Takakkaw Falls campground on Dec 31, and it looked in good shape too - clean, enclosed and with a small stock of firewood.
The snowpack below treeline heading up to Mt. Field is still thin, and the lower half of the Mt. Field ski tour is very brushy with alder and small trees. Coverage is good above 1700 meters.
Did a profile just below the last steep roll that leads to the summit of Mt. Field. In a snowpack of 145 cm total, we found well preserved surface hoar down 45 cm, which produced moderate, sudden planar shears. This is the Dec 18 layer, and I wouldn't want to be on a big slope around here until this layer gets a better bond.
Grant Statham
Mountain Guide
