[MCR] Howsons 13 to 17 April 06

Subject: [MCR] Howsons 13 to 17 April 06
Date: Tue, 18 Apr 2006 10:51:19 -0700
Cool temperatures and 5 to 35 cm of storm snow (depending on elevation) made for exceptional stability and skiing conditions. Ski crampons would have made life a lot easier. Night time temperatures at the lodge dropped to -9 and stayed about 2.5 during the day. I measured a 35 cm thick crust in the morning, with the temperature 10 cm down at -6. There are 118 cm of snow at the lodge and over 4 m on the glaciers. Crevasses and creeks are very well bridged. Rotten snow was not a concern at all and the corn skiing was excellent. Powder was to be found in cold aspects and at elevations over 1800 m. The wind effect was not interfering with the skiing very much. Mountaintop temperatures were from -9 to -11 in mid-day, with moderate to strong west to southwest winds. The only new avalanches were two size 2 slabs, triggered in steep terrain by icefall, that consisted mostly of ice and some of the storm snow.
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Christoph Dietzfelbinger
Mountain Guide, Bear Mountaineering and Burnie Glacier Chalet
Box 4222
Smithers, B.C. V0J 2N0 Canada
tel. 250-847-3351 fax: 250-847-2854
info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx www.bearmountaineering.ca