We toured in the Bow Lake area yesterday. -15C in the morning at valley bottom, and 0C at 3:00pm at valley bottom. Our elevation range was 2200m - 1800m.
Moist snow to 2200+m on solar aspects, and still excellent ski quality to valley bottom on north aspects.
Fast travel at all elevations. We used ski crampons on the steeper solar slopes that we ascended.
By noon the 15cm of recent new snow was point releasing and sliding on the buried temperature/ sun crust, and it became reactive to skier triggering.
Only minor sluffing noted on 40 degree north aspects where we descended.
Evidence of numerous point releases and some deep slab avalanches on solar aspects as we drove south at 3:00pm.
Jordy Shepherd
ACMG / IFMGA Mountain Guide
www.PeakAlpine.com