[MCR] Rockies-Polar Circus, Feb 17th, 2015

Turned around above the pencil on Polar Circus today around 10 am. Below this point the snow was almost all either stone hard avalanche debris or spectacular snow/ice. On the traverse though, there was still a facetted base to the snowpack and some recent windslabs. It was not terribly scary at 10am but with daytime heating it felt likely it would/could get scary.

Extensive avalanche control had been done on and above Polar Circus by Parks Canada as part of last weeks recovery effort. It is probably about as safe as it gets on the lower route and above the route but the effects of daytime heating on the shallow facetted areas and the recent small windslabs provided just a bit too much uncertainty in a very high consequence place for us.

Larry Stanier
ACMG Mountain Guide


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