[MCR] Hudson Bay Mountain 21 Dec 06

Subject: [MCR] Hudson Bay Mountain 21 Dec 06
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 2006 15:00:11 -0800
While it has been very warm in the valley, winter is firmly entrenched above 1000 m. The temperature has not risen above freezing, all the precipitation fell as snow, and the winds continue strong from the south. The 6 December raincrust is now 60 cm down at this site at 1500 m, but other parties have found this crust absent or much thinner in other areas of the Bulkley Valley. There are several shears in the storm snow, but the moderate temperatures will settle those out quickly. Of more concern is the continuing loading. There is a lot of wind transport in the alpine and at timberline, and more snow and wind are forecast. Expect widespread windslabs that could be more than 60 cm thick in places. A stiff layer in the storm snow could propagate far if the load increases enough.
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Christoph Dietzfelbinger
Mountain Guide IFMGA
Bear Mountaineering and the Burnie Glacier Chalet
Box 4222     Smithers, B.C.     Canada V0J 2N0
tel. 250-847-3351    fax 250-847-2854
info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx    www.bearmountaineering.ca