The ACMG Training and Assessment Program spent the past 3 days (March 7-9) in the Duffey Lake Road area during a Ski Guide exam.
We skied several classic alpine objectives in the Joffre Lakes, Cayoosh and Marriot Basin areas.
Weather:
This week brought sunny skies with cloudy periods and convective flurries with trace accumulation throughout the week. Temperatures ranged from -12 to +1. Winds were generally light to moderate from the south / south east.
Avalanche and Snow Conditions:
No significant new avalanches were observed. Our main concern was for storm/wind slabs on steep solar aspects, and we generally avoided that terrain.
Towards the end of the week surface sun crusts were found on solar aspects. Polar aspects held 20-30cm of settling powder making for fantastic early spring alpine skiing. On solar aspects and low valley exits one should expect sun crust and challenging skiing.
SG Candidates,
Geoff Osler (MG)
Scott Flavelle (MG)