[MCR] N Monashees

West of Mt Gordonhorne. 85 cm base at 1800 m with 10 mm surface hoar on surface and 20 mm rain crust down 40 cm. Extensive wind effect treeline and above. Moist snow bottom 50 cm at this elevation. No avalanches observed. -16 in alpine and -11 at 1000 m. Ice climbs developing.
Craig Ellis

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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] Rogers Pass - Connaught Ck. Nov.11-12/2014

Hey Gang,

 

Since I am not the only crazy person out there these days - I figured I should post some observations.

 

I spent the last 2 days on the sunny side of Connaught Ck.(Ursus Minor, 8812 bowl, East slope of Bruins Pass) so these observations are related to this area only (not sure what is going on up the Asulkan).

 

Avalanches:

No new avalanches observed since the end of the storm - but near the end of this weekend's storm several largish slabs failed, indicating that structurally the snowpack has the potential for serious avalanches (8812 Pk. S aspect, Cheops W. Aspect, Mt. Smart N Aspect- too glacier ice). The places I figured this was most likely (and therefore avoided), was largish 35+ degree tensioned (convex shaped) slopes that had been stiffened/loaded by the recent NE winds.

 

Snowpack:

Valley bottom is absolutely desperate 15-20cms gradually increasing above 1900m. to 60-100cms - there is approximately 40cms of storm snow overlying the Nov.9th raincrust (which goes at least as high as 2500m) - below this crust the snowpack is still either wet or moist. The clear skies have also been accompanied by low humidity - this is Arctic air after all ;-) - so Surface hoar formation on the surface, has been limited for the most part, to 3mm spiky looking crystals (a little larger near water sources) - the upper 40cms of the snowpack, unless effected by winds, is loose and unconsolidated - the crust is totally supportive. In the Alpine there was significant redistribution of the snow form the NE winds at the end of the system - so not your typical wind direction (usually SW).

 

Trail Conditions:

Below 1900m. all bets are off - there is snow on the trail so you can skin from the parking lot  - expect to encounter rocks and open creeks during your walk up the valley. On the way down it is totally sporty, and wearing a helmet and walking short sections will go a long way to reducing your risks - but trust me it is full on. If you like your skis I would not ski down this trail!

 

If you are trying to get up to Ursus Minor Bowl area via General Hospital - be prepared for some rather acrobatic ski touring and Alder bashing (having a hand saw and ski crampons would be handy!).

 

Ski Quality:

Okay just in case you think I am nuts to go out 2 days in a row - the ski quality above 2000m. is pretty darn good - snowpack gets even deeper above 2400m.

 

Outlook:

Not good! no snow and cold temps will not do this snowpack any favors!  Keep in mind that the next time we receive a significant snowfall that things will change.

 

Cheers,

Scott Davis

ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

[MCR] Rockies - Icefields

I guided a wintery ascent today of Boundary Peak via the Little Athabasca Glacier on an Intro to Mountaineering Course for Mountain Skills Academy.

At 0730h in the parking lot this morning there was 1cm new snow at a temperature of -2C; 5cm upon our return and -8C at 1530h.

The ice slope at the toe of the glacier had just enough supportive snow to provide confident boot steps. Above we found variable snow depth averaging 50cm but over 1m in some zones. We found supportive bridges over crevasses along our route to the N couloir. We found a supportive snow pack with up to 15cm of new snow in the couloir.

We descended snow covered scree and talus down the normal north slopes descent.

Brent Peters
Alpine Guide

Looking down at A2 and the Boundary Glacier from Boundary Peak.

[MCR] Rockies - Crowfoot Mountain

Fellow guide Maarten and I ascended Crowfoot Falls today. The first tier has not formed so we gained the glacial plateau via a shallow gully right of the main drainage below the large serac cave at the toe of the Crowfoot Glacier. We climbed the second tier in 2 pitches (130m WI4R). We descended the ice on threads and the lower buttress on snow bollards. I would call the current conditions challenging and thin. We found red and gold (10-13cm) screws useful.

We observed a rain crust with 1cm of storm snow up to 2100m. Above 2100m we found well bonded snow over a thermal crust on slopes up to 45 degrees. Storm snow depth varied between 10-50cm. Overall snow depth on the glacial plateau was variable up to 1m. We also observed numerous spindrift avalanches to sz 1 on steep solar aspects.

Since Bow Lake is not frozen enough to cross, the quickest approach to this climb is by crossing the small creek at the south end of Bow Lake.

Brent Peters
Alpine Guide
PeakStratagem.com






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_______________________________________________
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] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued November 6th, 2014

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued November 6th, 2014 Yukk. It is currently damp and mild over most of the Rockies and Columbia mountains and forecast to stay that way for the next day or two at least. Skiing will be really rugged/dangerous unless you can find somewhere with very smooth ground cover. And those would be the places where the snowpack is perhaps above threshold for avalanche release! I haven't seen any reliable observations yet of the current state of the mountain snowpack. We do know that it is generally thin and has probably been getting loaded in the past couple of days. All the usual early season hazards apply and the glaciers will have just enough snow to hide the crevasses-especially in bad light. People have been getting after some waterfall ice. The mild temperatures won't be helping much but with some careful choices it might be possible to have a decent safe day on the right piece of ice. Watch the daytime heat and running water, most features would be thin and have only been ice for a relatively short period of time. Snow levels will be coming down low tonight so scrambling will be greasy and even the valley bottom rock will be wet for a day or so at least. Drytooling(damptooling?)crags, fitness walks and the Banff Mountain Film festival are all possibilities. As are cheap flights to Vegas. Get cold and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow. Larry Stanier ACMG 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] Totem Creek Ice - Banff

I spent the day guiding the ice climb "Totem and Taboo" in Totem Creek (drainage south of Murchison). Thin and wet early season conditions.  I managed to scratch my way up three pitches and turned around part way up the fourth pitch where detached thin ice with water pouring over and behind it got the better of me. First (rotten) pitch was avoided by climbing a dry rock buttress on climbers right (30 m 4th class).

Apart from poor ice the main hazards were rockfall and falling ice - plenty of each in this NE facing zone until the sun wheeled around the corner at around 1 pm.

There is a trail on the N side of the creek. You can pick it up a few hundred meters from the highway just where the tracks from a giant earth mover peter out. Sparsely blazed but worth finding.

Tom Wolfe
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
www.sawback.com
Canmore, Alberta

   

[MCR] Selkirk Mountains, Rogers Pass Conditions

​Winter is creeping in but it's still early for skiing in Glacier National Park. Expect to walk a long way to get to any skiable snow.
Snowline is at approximately 1700m, with 20cm of snow on the ground at 2000m and 38mm of precipitation recorded at Fidelity Station (1900m) in the past week.
 
Attached photo is of Balu Pass on Nov 1, 2014

 

Lydia Marmont

SG/AAG

Visitor Safety Technician

Mt Revelstoke/Glacier National Park