[MCR] Maligne Lake, Bald Hills

Subject: [MCR] Maligne Lake, Bald Hills
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 2006 19:20:56 -0700
Up at the Bald hills today with AST group. 0C in parking lot. Strong ice crust near ground at lake, higher in the snowpack as you ascend. Near treeline the crust seems variable depending on aspect. At 7000ft did a test profile at the bottom of "telemark hill" right where it breaks into the open. There was are 2 laminated ice crusts here about 30-50 cm down giving easy to mod compression tests. The result was a sudden collapse between the crusts.
We also did a reutchblock and got a score of 3 on a low angle 20 deg slope.
It was very windy and snowing fairly hard in the alpine and lots of wind affect in open terrain. No wumpfing noted but hard to tell in this weather. It will certainly be interesting to watch the treeline areas where the crust is more evident and reactive. I would watch unsupported features at treeline. Raining on the way home. I would anticipate an increase in the hazard based on the changing conditions during today.

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