[MCR] Stewart and Bell II 1 March 07

Subject: [MCR] Stewart and Bell II 1 March 07
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2007 10:36:10 -0800
On an avalanche related road trip, Shane Spencer and I found excellent skiing, good stability, and cold temperatures. In the Salmon River drainage just inside Alaska near Stewart, we looked at a size 3 wet avalanche that hit a mining road on 17 February. It started when wet sluffs out of steep terrain triggered deep slabs on surface hoar on fairly gentle ground. We did not find the surface hoar layer reactive. 30 cm of cold dry snow made for excellent mogul skiing on the old debris. In Ningunsaw Pass (270 km north of Kitwanga), we skied the west flank of Eagle Ridge, with access from the Redflat Creek bridge. In the alpine, 20 cm of low density snow with little wind effect sat on firmer layers. Cold temperatures, light to moderate northerly winds and great views on a 1200 m run.

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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
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