[MCR] (no subject)

I finished a couple of weeks of work in the S Chilcotin Mountains yesterday pm. Basically the snowpack was like an eastern Rocky Mountains pack until the last snow fall – thin, faceted and very weak. Then it snowed close to a meter and the region experienced a huge avalanche cycle.

 

Yesterday, when the storm ended, the mountains showed avalanches size 2 – 4 on all aspects running full path. Almost all mountain sides where cut with fracture lines that where 1-3 m deep.

I skied only slopes less than start zone angle and stayed very very well away from overhead hazards. Slopes where still sliding mid day yesterday (a self guided ski touring party reported a size 4 they probably triggered)

 

This is not like a coastal snow pack at all. The stability and the hazard is not likely to improve quickly.  Avalanches can be remotely started from way below, like valley bottom. And lots of snow will move, I did not see small avalanches. There are lots of slopes primed to slide. But the ski quality is good to excellent...

 

Dave Sarkany

Ski Guide

 

 

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