Ski Conditions

Ski Conditions

Went thru the Mt. Feild shortcut and found great powder skiing in the trees on sheltered NE slopes. The shortcut has 40-50cm of refrozen snow down low, and without the 5cm of new storm snow we would have needed ski crampons to make it work. I would recommend anyone heading this way in the future take them along.
Above the notch there was 10cm of new snow over the temp crust which made for good travel. Around noon we heard a loud audible avalanche come off the Wapta Peak ridgeline (E facing, roughly 2500m) that I estimate was a size 3 based on how long it rumbled for. I suspect it was a cornice failure that triggered a slab. We didn't get a good look at the start zone or debris due to limited alpine visibility all day. The few moments we did get a peek at the ridgeline, we noted very large cornices.
We made it to 2100m before turning around due to lack of visibility and at that elevation there was almost 40cm of new storm snow, without any evidence of wind effect. The skiing was excellent down to the Yoho Valley road exit.
Also of note, in our test pits, we found a planar shear down 125cm at an interface with settled 1F+/P rounds above and 1F 2mm facets below. This interface was unreactive in compression and deep tap tests but was easily shovel sheared when removing columns after tests.

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.