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Another gentle cross country ski trip, this time to the Plain of Six Glaciers, avoiding avalanche terrain except for extreme runouts, which wasn't quite enough today.
Of course lots of recent activity, of note:
- The slope beneath the 5.10 Amphitheatre crag at Back of the Lake climbing area ran size 1.5, almost hit the cross country ski trail. I always wondered when I would see that run. This of course makes me wonder about the slope below Louise Falls, but it seems that there are enough trails beat into that to tack it in place and keep it from getting triggered by the ice climbing parties and strollers wandering up it today. - Up valley about 75% of terrain steep enough to slide had run anywhere from 0-72 hrs previously. This included size 1's on small moraine features to size 3's off the big paths. At one point there were debris piles from either side that were only about 20 m apart. No deep deposits though, most large activity was in the size 2.5 range. - The feeder gully lookers right of Surprise Pass has slid and it took the lower half of of the Surprise Pass ski run out. Size 2.5. The upper part of the run is still there, but you won't find me skiing that anytime soon. - At about 3 pm we saw a size 3-3.5 come off the E Face of Lefroy, probably icefall triggered but took a big snow slab out on the slopes below. That thing rocketed down! - Coming back at the end of the day a size 2.5 came off the cliffs of Fairview and hit Lake Louise. It dusted the trail on the far side of the lake and leaves and branches were strewn all the way across the lake as well. A nice layer of dust and vegetation on our track from the morning, which was near the middle of the lake. Hmm.
Whumpfs all the way up the valley and again coming down. Mark Klassen Mountain Guide
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