[MCR] Hankin Mountain

Subject: [MCR] Hankin Mountain
Date: Thu, 31 Dec 2009 17:56:24 -0800
Today I checked out the new Hankin Mountain skiing area in the Kitseguecla drainage. I could not see it all as the visibility was limited. I could see no avalanche debris in the fading light. The main risk right now is hitting stumps, rocks and logs as the snowpack is still shallow this side of the Coast Mountains. At treeline (1300 m) there were only 110 cm of snow. Most of that is facetted and there is a layer of surface hoar 37 cm down. This surface hoar is old, but well visible and a good 3 mm large. It produced moderate sudden planar shears. It is rare for our area to show surface hoar in the alpine, but it was sunny and cold for quite a while this winter. It would be good to investigate the extent of this layer and to be wary of it at least near treeline. It is now getting just the right amount of load to fail and allow slab avalanches.

--
Christoph Dietzfelbinger
IFMGA/ UIAGM Mountain Guide - Bear Mountaineering and the 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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