[MCR] Bow Hut

Hello Everyone,

 

I spent 2 nights at Bow Hut over October 28-30th.  Temperatures remained relatively cool at 1800 metres all the way up to the elevation of Bow Hut in -5.0 - 8.0 C range on the 28th and 29th.  The snow depths became appreciable at about 2200 metres.  On the glacier, we found an average snowpack depth of 65 centimetres and made for very heavy sledding (difficult travel).  The most notoble 2 observations were the strong winds overnight on the 29th and then the subsequent rise in freezing levels (0 C at Bow Hut) rapidly changing the conditions, causing me to become concerned with the steep slopes on the moraine below the hut.  As expected, cracking and some small settlements were observed.  Simple hand sheers yielded easy results down 35 and 45 cm's.  A melt-freeze crust exists in the lower snowpack and weak grained facets below this crust are on the ground.

 

An avalanche involvement at Bow Summit yesterday that resulted in a big ride for 2 people was not a surprise for me given my recent observations.  The strong winds have caused a serious uneven distribution of an early season snowpack that has weak basal layers that won't provide much of a foundation for the cohesive slab resting on top of it.  It has been quite warm and the conditions are not great for recreating right now.  Be patient and save your energy when conditions improve.  For those folks swinging and clinging (ice climbing), I would suggest you crane your neck back and look way, way up and think about not only the slopes you're traveling on, but the real estate above your objective.  My biggest concerns with respect to terrain features would be exposed features in the immediate lee of the wind and cross-wind affected features at treeline and especially in the alpine where the most snow can be found and has been redistributed by the wind.

Keep it Tight,

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The 
ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in 
continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable 
nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information 
provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions 
Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
Please check out http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.