[MCR] Maligne lake Bald Hills

Subject: [MCR] Maligne lake Bald Hills
Date: Wed, 08 Nov 2006 19:07:01 -0700
Up for a ski to the Bald Hills. Up the road, then the summer trail and down the road from the hitching rail. 5-10cm of new snow overnight. A strong rain crust lower down supports you and though there is only about 15cm at the parking lot the road is Ok gliding on the crust.

There is about 40-50 cm at treeline. The new snow sits on top of the same raincrust, about 5cm thick and supportive if you ski smoooth... Below the crust the snow is moist, and wet right at ground. No shears or compressions were found. Once it cools the lower pack should gain strength. It looks different higher in the alpine where there has been quite a bit of wind transport. Loading is evident on N aspects and there is certainly enough snow to trigger avalanches. No avalanche activity observed.

People have been skiing down the summer trail but I would maybe play on the low angle slopes near treeline but take the road down.
Reasonable early season skiing by Rockies standards!
Peter Amann

Peter Amann
Mountain Guiding
Box 1495, Jasper AB, T0E 1E0
780 852 3237
www.incentre.net/pamann
pamann@xxxxxxxxxxxx