We found slightly touchier conditions a bit further down the road than Ken's MCR report from the Vermillion peak area. We toured up the "Floe lake Burn" which is another 15KM south down highway 93 S in Kootenay park. The runs in this area are mainly steep burned forest, avalanche paths and face North East with elevation between 1300-2200m.
With the forecasted warming temps and 10-15 cm's new snow, we chose to stick to an area we knew had previously avalanched on the late Jan/early Feb interface of Facets and Surface Hoar. Although this seemed like a good plan, the freezing level rose higher than expected to around 1500-1600m and with this we saw an increase in the reactivity of this deeper instability.
While skiing just outside of an area that had previously avalanched quite large (you could feel the debris under your skis) we were able to skier trigger a size 1.5 that quickly gained mass and travel down into the fog likely travelling 400+m and becoming a larger size 2 avalanche. While attempting to stick to mellow and less exposed terrain we still managed to remotely trigger a lower angle (around 30 degree) glade/chute from 60m way. This larger size 2 avalanche failed on the late Jan Facets buried down 50-80 cm's. Both of these avalanches accrued around 1500-1600m where the warming tempurature made both the recent new snow and older snow a much more dense and cohesive slab.
With the forecasted continued snowfall tomorrow and a still rising temperature, I would suspect that there will be a natural avalanche cycle starting soon. I think for the next few days the susceptibility to triggering either the recent 30-40 cm's of new snow, but also the deeper weak layers which are closer to 1m deep now will be a concern. During this next little while it will be a good time to stick to mellow, well supported terrain with little over head hazard.
Have fun, Craig
Craig McGee
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
(403) 497-4211
_______________________________________________
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.
Wednesday, March 5, 2014
[MCR] snowpulse airbag inspection bulletin
If you have a snowpulse airbag pack, please use the link below to review an important service inspection bulletin to ensure your balloon will inflate properly if needed.
Karl Klassen - Manager, Public Avalanche Warning Service
Canadian Avalanche Centre, kklassen@avalanche.ca
[MCR] Cookoos nest direct.
Guided Cookoos Nest direct today.
May have climbed a new pitch at the top of the first 70m of ice, a steep overhanging corner system with some loose blocks but good gear.
In general, the climbing felt much harder than the original grade given in books.
The ice goatee at the top of pitch 3 ( the one after the single bolt protected crux pitch) is on it's last legs. It's fractured and doesn't take gear and is turning into "snice" at the top out. You top out about 15 feet from the bolt.
Overall ice is plastic and turf still frozen.
10 to 20cm of new snow has fallen in the Kicking Horse Canyon during this stormy period.
We noticed some light sloughing on Pretty Nuts at 17:00 as some sun was finally coming out as we walked away from a quick hot lap on the first pitch.
The ice on pretty nuts was perfectly plastic great stick even with dull blades.
The day was cloudy with a high of 1.5C. But the snow was surprisingly light given the warm temps.
Driving back trough Field BC, all the climbing looked milky white with plenty of new snow.
Cheers
Patrick Delaney
Alpine Guide
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures
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.
May have climbed a new pitch at the top of the first 70m of ice, a steep overhanging corner system with some loose blocks but good gear.
In general, the climbing felt much harder than the original grade given in books.
The ice goatee at the top of pitch 3 ( the one after the single bolt protected crux pitch) is on it's last legs. It's fractured and doesn't take gear and is turning into "snice" at the top out. You top out about 15 feet from the bolt.
Overall ice is plastic and turf still frozen.
10 to 20cm of new snow has fallen in the Kicking Horse Canyon during this stormy period.
We noticed some light sloughing on Pretty Nuts at 17:00 as some sun was finally coming out as we walked away from a quick hot lap on the first pitch.
The ice on pretty nuts was perfectly plastic great stick even with dull blades.
The day was cloudy with a high of 1.5C. But the snow was surprisingly light given the warm temps.
Driving back trough Field BC, all the climbing looked milky white with plenty of new snow.
Cheers
Patrick Delaney
Alpine Guide
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures
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] Vermillion Peak, Kootenay Park, BC Rockies
Fantastic day up there today. We experienced numerous whumpfs (settlements) on the 30-40 cm of new snow on the March 3rd layer. This upper snowpack is still very low density, so doesn't have slab properties, however with the warming trend that could change. Moderate trail-breaking with a ski penetration of 30-50 cm.
I found the 10 February layer down 70 cm at treeline on a west aspect and moderate-hard reactive in tests. Propagation tests showed potential so we kept to supported terrain.
1000 metres of face shot skiing all the way to the highway!
Much warmer on that side of the divide: in the morning the temperature warmed from -12.5 to -3.5 driving down the pass. -1 at the car at 15:30.
Ken Bélanger
ACMG ASG, CAA Pro
TopCog Adventures | guiding & adventure travel
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
[MCR] Junkyards access
Trans Alta will be doing construction at their plant starting tomorrow (mar 5) and have asked all climbers to please not walk down their road or through their plant. Using the power line access or lower Grassi lakes trail will not be affected. Construction should be done on April 1st.
James madden
ACMG MG
Yamnuska Mt. Adventures
_______________________________________________
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.
James madden
ACMG MG
Yamnuska Mt. Adventures
_______________________________________________
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.
Monday, March 3, 2014
[MCR] Hidden Bowl (Bow Summit area), Banff Park
Up for a tour today and we were treated to moderate temperatures (-12 in the morning, -8 afternoon) which was a welcome relief from the latest deep freeze. Light to moderate snowfall with light SW winds, 5-10cm of fresh by the end of the day added to the 3-5cm that had fallen the previous night.
The 10 February layer presents as a density change but wasn't reactive in the pit I dug on an east aspect in the alpine.
We noted a recent Natural sz 1.5 that initiated below rocks in steep terrain at approximately 2400 metres, east aspect. It consisted only of lee loaded storm snow and stopped mid track.
Ken Bélanger
ACMG ASG, CAA Pro
TopCog Adventures | guiding & adventure travel
Tel: +1.403.678.0338
Sent from my iDon't care what kind of phone you have
TopCog Adventures | guiding & adventure travel
Tel: +1.403.678.0338
Sent from my iDon't care what kind of phone you have
Saturday, March 1, 2014
[MCR] North Rockies update
Just thought I would pass on a bit of a summary of some snow observations from the North Rockies from over the last few weeks.
Much of my time this winter is doing industry work around Pine Pass , Azouzetta Lake, and the Table River.
Up there we are calling the layer of concern the Jan 22 "melt freeze Surface hoar combo layer", as this is the date it was buried.
Around Jan 14-15 there was a wind event along with warm temperatures that formed a crust on which the SH formed on and then buried.
The SH is not as reactive as it is reported to the south. It is more like a stiffer crust but with the SH crystals still recognizable.
It is certainly a visual time stamp to see this crust layer in the pit wall as it is either somewhat discolored, or has small needles embedded in it.
It is about 40-100cm down now, depending on exposure to wind.
I have found this layer from Purden Mountain, to Powder King, on SW aspects in Pine Pass, and in the Table River both up high and down low.
Ski touring on Feb 19th at Pine Pass we had a few large whumpfs near treeline on a SW aspect, but couldn't pin point the culprit to the deeper PWL. (Persistent Weak Layer)
We found a compression test easy down 20cm in the storm snow, with a hard result down at the Jan22 layer. It would seem the whumpfing should be related to the deeper PWL, but we couldn't confirm this with our tests.
At this wind affected profile site the Jan22 layer was down 40cm at treeline .
We found the same layer a day earlier at treeline in the Table River, which gave easy results down 85cm, with a sudden collapse.
The average snowpack around Pine Pass is about 160-220cm valley bottom (900m), in the Table River it is 240cm valley bottom (1100m,) and over 3 metres in the alpine.
We did some avalanche control work near Pine Pass just after the strong outflow winds started on Feb 22, and only got newer instabilities to release. So far nothing is stepping down to the PWL , and we have been trying!
(the winds are still slamming the landscape with gusts near 90km out of an easterly direction through March 1. )
All in all, still expecting this layer to be active or at least remain a primary concern, but not exactly sure when, or what the trigger will be.
Have been only skiing on well supported terrain, avoiding anything of consequence and expecting the unexpected, probably like most of you out there.
Though I haven't been out this week, I expect we will have isolated stiff wind deposited slabs sitting on top of a mix of variable layers, or scoured out to Sustrugi in some normal lee areas...could be some interesting loading patterns this week.
Windward? leeward? which is which?
Cheers,
Peter Amann
Mountain Guide
pamann@incentre.net
Much of my time this winter is doing industry work around Pine Pass , Azouzetta Lake, and the Table River.
Up there we are calling the layer of concern the Jan 22 "melt freeze Surface hoar combo layer", as this is the date it was buried.
Around Jan 14-15 there was a wind event along with warm temperatures that formed a crust on which the SH formed on and then buried.
The SH is not as reactive as it is reported to the south. It is more like a stiffer crust but with the SH crystals still recognizable.
It is certainly a visual time stamp to see this crust layer in the pit wall as it is either somewhat discolored, or has small needles embedded in it.
It is about 40-100cm down now, depending on exposure to wind.
I have found this layer from Purden Mountain, to Powder King, on SW aspects in Pine Pass, and in the Table River both up high and down low.
Ski touring on Feb 19th at Pine Pass we had a few large whumpfs near treeline on a SW aspect, but couldn't pin point the culprit to the deeper PWL. (Persistent Weak Layer)
We found a compression test easy down 20cm in the storm snow, with a hard result down at the Jan22 layer. It would seem the whumpfing should be related to the deeper PWL, but we couldn't confirm this with our tests.
At this wind affected profile site the Jan22 layer was down 40cm at treeline .
We found the same layer a day earlier at treeline in the Table River, which gave easy results down 85cm, with a sudden collapse.
The average snowpack around Pine Pass is about 160-220cm valley bottom (900m), in the Table River it is 240cm valley bottom (1100m,) and over 3 metres in the alpine.
We did some avalanche control work near Pine Pass just after the strong outflow winds started on Feb 22, and only got newer instabilities to release. So far nothing is stepping down to the PWL , and we have been trying!
(the winds are still slamming the landscape with gusts near 90km out of an easterly direction through March 1. )
All in all, still expecting this layer to be active or at least remain a primary concern, but not exactly sure when, or what the trigger will be.
Have been only skiing on well supported terrain, avoiding anything of consequence and expecting the unexpected, probably like most of you out there.
Though I haven't been out this week, I expect we will have isolated stiff wind deposited slabs sitting on top of a mix of variable layers, or scoured out to Sustrugi in some normal lee areas...could be some interesting loading patterns this week.
Windward? leeward? which is which?
Cheers,
Peter Amann
Mountain Guide
pamann@incentre.net
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)