[MCR] South Coast Mountains Hurley Pass Area

I was up in the Hurley Pass area for the last couple of days.

At tree line there is now 80cm+. Many North facing slopes I got to where whoomfing and cracking. 

I did a full pit at 1750m and found a layer of very reactive Surface Hoar 10mm (probably cover on Nov 5th) 22cm above the ground. 

I got two Extended Column Test results at 22cm and 35cm above ground (upper result might be Surface Hoar covered Nov 10) both on the 13th hit and went sudden planer.

Also a Moderate Compression Test (sudden planer)at 22cm.

At least one slide path slid to near valley bottom thursday night. But visability was limited.

Above 1600m creeks are filling in and getting cover over.

Have a great weekend but be careful if you are going that direction!

Dave Sarkany

Sent from my Samsung device

[MCR] widespread avalanche cycle

Avalanche Canada is getting reports of a widespread avalanche cycle in the Cariboos. Fracture lines over 100cm, slides to size 3 or more running full path. If it’s happening up there, it’s almost certainly happening in other places as well.

 

Check the latest AvCan blog posts here: http://www.avalanche.ca/blogs

Look for Mountain Information Network posts on the map at www.avalanche.ca

Check out the Cariboos MIN post

 

If you are seeing anything use Avalanche Canada’s Mountain Information Network to share: http://www.avalanche.ca/mountain-information-network

 

Be careful out there. Might get worse before it gets better and this will take some time to settle out after the current storm cycle ends.

 

Karl Klassen – Mountain Guide

Manager Public Avalanche Warning Service

kklassen@avalanche.ca | Mobile: 250.814.8981

 

[MCR] ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued November 13, 2015

ACMG Mountain Conditions Report Summary for the Rockies and Columbia Mountains issued November 13, 2015 Nov 13th and winter is here! Despite the doom and gloomers and naysayers-people are skiing where they should be--in the Columbia Mountains and along the Rockies divide-and people are ice climbing where they should be-on the Rockies east slope! Obviously we are in for a big change as the forecasted storm rolls in. We won't know how much snow falls and how the snowpack reacts for certain till the storm ends but at 7am today(friday) it seems to have already snowed 17cm since midnight at Bow Summit on the Icefields Parkway. Some models showed up to 100mm of precipitation for Bow Summit which could roughly be estimated as 100cm of snow. People have already been skiing around Bow Summit but were likely often scalping the shrubbery. At Lake Louise ski area the ski patrol had recently been ski cutting relatively small avalanches on a layer of sun crust and surface hoar. Those layers in that shallow snowpack will have a very difficult time adjusting to all that new load if it comes, which could mean (yes, you got it) widespread avalanches perhaps even on lower angle terrain than you would expect and running far and fast down gullies. Read the Parks Canada and Kananaskis Country bulletins and take heed. As you have probably already heard there was a large skier triggered avalanche/close call on Bruins ridge at Rogers Pass on Nov 8th that released on a facet crust layer just above the ground. Around the same time one natural avalanche ran to the valley floor west of the pass and another almost to the valley floor just east of the pass. Snowpack tests taken yesterday by the good folks at the Glacier Park Avalanche Control Section showed that this layer is still a concern and there was a reactive layer of surface hoar then down 22cm and another down 65cm. Overnight at Mt. Fidelity, 1905 they received 34cm of fairly dense snow with not much wind and it is still snowing hard at the pass at 8am PST. Freezing level was around 1000m as it was raining at the Beaver valley. All this means that there is likely now at least a 50cm dense storm slab sitting on top of the surface hoar and tweaking the lower layers. The wind is likely to show up eventually and won't that make things interesting! Ice climbing is definitely starting in the Rockies front ranges. I was on Amadeus yesterday and it was mostly dry ground and decent but brittle ice. It is currently calm and snowing about 1cm an hour in Canmore with 4cm on the ground so assume that there is more falling in the mountains and that it ain't calm. It will take a fair bit of snow to have avalanches on the dry ground. However slightly farther west, Mt Rundle and the peaks along the Spray lakes road were looking snowy before this storm so expect avalanches sooner in all those bowls and gullies in Peter Lougheed park and the Mt. Rundle ice climbs. Gully climbs in Field and along the Icefields parkway? Forget it for now! Stay tuned to the National Parks and K country bulletins as the storm and the winter unfolds. Avalanche Canada will begin producing bulletins on Nov 20th. Go to their website and check out their Mountain Information network. It is right there at the top of the page and it is a great place to see other people's observations and to post your own observations. This is the last ACMG MCR summary for the season. On behalf of all the volunteers who write the summaries and everyone who inputs to the MCR, thanks for tuning in and have a long, fine and safe winter! Larry Stanier ACMG Mountain Guide

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[MCR] Ice Conditions in Lac Des Arc

Hi Everyone,

Climbed Irish Mist with Erica Roles today.  We approached by taking a look at the Waterhole (climber's right of Irish Mist - 1st photo) and it was super thin ice overlaid on baby bum smooth limestone so no chance of rock gear to protect.

Irish Mist (second photo) was in good shape, but in thin early season shape.  Take an assortment of stubby ice screws and swing lightly.  The first 10 meters is quite easy but very thin with a bolt 4-5 meters up to protect.  We belayed on a ledge (10 meters up) with another single bolt and a good 0.3 Camelot for an anchor and then did the second 30 meter pitch to a bolted station on the climber's right.  The bolts we used were placed for a mixed climb to the right of Irish Mist that shares the start.

Just wanted to give a head's up that is was in; as it is difficult to see if the very bottom of the route is in from the road.  It has ZERO avalanche hazard.  A good option in the coming days given the incoming storm later today and the likely high hazard that will prevail for a number of days afterward.

Take Care,

Paddy Jerome

ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide 

(C) 403 609 0795

[MCR] Kananaskis, Amadeus Nov 11/15

Josh Smith and I Climbed Amadeus this morning. Easy travel up the scoured drainage to the base of the route, Route is in Excellent shape and the ice takes 10-16cm screws throughout.  The Terrain above the route is holding little snow at present, be cautious with the next snowfall.

2x 35M raps gets you back to the ground.

Good to see the ice starting to form up.

Darren Vonk.

Apprentice Alpine Guide.

 

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[MCR] Rogers Pass - November 8th Bruins Ridge Avalanche

Hi all,

Here is some information on the Bruins Ridge Avalanche that happened Sunday November 8th:
It occured at approximately 2:30pm.  One rider had already skied the slope and was close to the bottom of the slope when the second skier triggered the avalanche.  The first rider was fully buried but able to get out alone.  The second skier was not buried. Luckily neither person was injured.
The avalanche ran about 1200m.  Earlier estimates showed the fracture line to be about 300m wide but the latest GPS measurements show it to be  400m wide.  It propagated across Bruins ridge for about 400m.  The crown was 50cm to 100cm deep averaging 65cm.  The avalanche released on a facet layer above a crust about 10-15cm above the ground.  The avalanche covered 0.16km square.  It was triggered at a shallow spot close to a rock sticking out of the snow.

With this in mind, watch for areas that will have kept snow from earlier on this fall that may have the same weak layer down at the bottom of the snowpack.

Many thanks to Jess and Troy Leahey and Shannon Werner for their quick and professional action assisting with the rescue.






Lydia Marmont
Chris Gooliaff
Danyelle Magnan

Glacier National Park Visitor Safety