The Canadian Mountain and Ski Guide training program (through Thompson Rivers University) ran an Apprentice Ski Guide Exam from April 1-9 in the South Coast region.

The week began with a ridge of high pressure, followed by a series of low pressure fronts, bringing intermittent snowfalls and southerly winds ranging from light to extreme at ridgetop.  We experienced mild temperatures with freezing levels reaching 2000m yielding weak overnight recoveries.  7-day snowfall totalled 60cm at treeline.

There are variable surfaces ranging from sastrugi to soft slabs in the Alpine with moist surfaces below 1700m. This overlies a well settled upper snowpack which contains melt freeze crusts at varying depths depending on aspect and elevation.

We tracked surface instabilities consisting of storm and wind slabs on cross-loaded and lee loaded ridge top features. After the last pulse of precipitation on Saturday we observed a few natural and skier triggered slabs up to size 2.5. Cornices are very large and we were conscious of limiting our overhead exposure.

We skied classic trips in the Whistler/Blackcomb backcountry (Mt. Pattison, Decker, Trorey, Phalanx and the Spearhead Glacier) as well as the Duffey Lake Rd (Anniversary Glacier, Matier Glacier, Mt Taylor, Tzil, Rohr and Vantage peak).

Ski quality remains good on high North facing terrain. Conditions deteriorate with daytime warming and solar inputs, particularly at treelike and below.

Matt Peter - MG
Conny Amelunxen - MG
John Furneax - MG
On behalf of the ASGE candidates