Selkirk Mountains - Corbin
Pass - Dec.26-07
I skied in the Corbin
Pass area (which is just
west of the Glacier Park Boundary) under cloudy skies and cool temps on Boxing
Day. The road currently is not plowed above the brake check – I am
guessing due to Xmas holidays etc., but be prepared for an additional 20 min.
of road slogging.
No recent traffic (except the couple kind enough to break
trail before I arrived) and there appears to be 40+ cm. of recent storm snow
since the last skiers were here.
Noted several old small (size 1) slab avalanches that had
released naturally on steep convex rolls near treeline, they appeared to have
run midway during the last storm cycle – there is about 25cm. of snow
over the debris from this cycle. Also there was evidence of previous wind
effect at treeline, with old drifts and treebombs in the forest – both of
which have around 20-25cm. of snow over them indicating that the wind event was
a few days ago. I haven’t been into the Alpine in a while but I would
expect more wind affect up there and I would choose moderate objectives it the
weather improved enough to get up high again.
There was a shear down @20cm. but it didn’t react to
ski cutting, the rest of the snowpack is settling and ski penetration is about
30-45cm. – still worthy trail breaking but not as industrial as it has
been lately.
More snow on the way,
Best of the Season to all,
Scott Davis
Mountain Guide