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.
--
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
info@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx www.bearmountaineering.ca
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