Ski Conditions

1 photos

Early Season in Purcells

Olive Hut - Catamount Glacier

Ski Conditions

Just back from a 3 day trip to the Olive Hut at 2670m.
Below 2000m and in sheltered locations, up to 35cm of snow fell over 48 hours.
Sustained 40-60km southwest winds in the alpine created a variety of surfaces, from sastrugi and bare ice to thigh deep wind drifts.

Coverage on the glacier ranged from 100-140cm, while we found rocky slopes with anywhere from 80-200cm depending on their orientation to the wind.
The early November rain crust could be found down 50-60cm as high as 2500m. In most of our pits, it was faceting out, and not producing any planar results. In the alpine, snowpack was generally right side up and well bonded.

We uptracked across small "test slopes" but did not observe any cracking or reactivity in the windslab. By the end of day 3, we did manage to trigger a size 1 soft windslab in the fan of a sheltered south facing chute. For the rest of the day and our exit, we avoided unsupported slopes and convex rolls.

As you'd expect, we thought very light thoughts on most turns, as lots of early season hazards and rocks are just below the surface. While creeks are starting to fill in, there's still a bit of open water to be found.

On The Map

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.