[MCR] Glacier Park

Subject: [MCR] Glacier Park
Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2007 07:59:06 -0800
Skied up Fortitude Ridge yesterday, and down the first major slide path
from the ridge crest into Flat Creek.  A profile just below the ridge
showed easy planar shears down 10cm and 30cm, a moderate shear down 55cm,
and a hard shear down110cm.  The layer down 10 was forming a soft slab
which cracked and propagated 5-10 meters from our skis, causing significant
sluffing in steep terrain.  We skied a conservative line on the edge of the
path, which still required sluff management.

Yesterday, a skier on Cheops (hourglass) triggered the same layer.  He was
caught but was able to ski out of it.  The slide ran 300m to valley bottom.
There was a significant natural cycle on this layer throughout Glacier park
throughout the day.

Today as of 8am, we have another 20-30 cm load on this layer, increasing
the likelihood and consequences of skier triggered avalanches.

Sylvia Forest
Mountain Guide
Alpine Specialist
MRGNP