What a beautiful day to be in the hills today. I hope this finds Everyone out enjoying the good skiing and soaking-up some sunshine.
Here are a few observations from travelling along the spine of the Spearhead Range out to the Mt. Pattison area:
Decker Glacier:
* a skier accidentally triggered a size 2 SL on a high, steep, east-facing slope sometime within the past 24hours. It ran almost to the bottom of the climber's right line that draws folks into that corniced cirque on the north face.
* cornices are massive right now and there was evidence of some having recently failed naturally sending some moderately-sized chunks down onto that climber's right-hand route.
* I witnessed a group of six tourers all unknowingly taking a rest break on a snow bridge above a crevasse today. Although the bridges can be thick at this time of year, they're not places to linger. Watch for sags on glaciers , which often indicate the presence of a snow bridge covering a crevasse.
Trorey Glacier:
* Some cornice fall onto the north face of Mt. Trorey did not pull out a slab.
* The skiing on these north-facing glaciers is very pleasant right now.
* Be cautious along the ridge between Decker Glacier and Trorey Peak as there are sizeable cornices that always form here and this year is no exception. Some have even calved off already onto the skier's left-hand line of Trorey Glacier. Be vigilant about giving these monsters plenty of room while moving along ridgecrests and while travelling below on the slopes.
Pattison Col:
* When ascending to the col from Trorey Glacier, it's good to keep an eye on the slopes above (the northwest face of Mt. Pattison) and choose an ascent line that keeps you away from the runout of these slopes, because of the scale of them ~ especially if you notice people skiing those lines while you're nearby; better to give yourself some margin, just in case.
Pattison Northeast Ridge:
* we toured up the slope until we ran into the ridge itself.
* some of the snow en route to the summit is faceted and weak, especially around the rock features, and some of the sections are exposed but there are options and places to protect yourself if travelling roped.
* the summit was windless, the sun was warm, and the coast range was laid out in every direction. Nice.
South Side of Decker Mountain:
* returned along this aspect using the broad 'benchy' terrain to take us back toward Disease Ridge. We dropped low (6300-6400'-ish) on the southwest ridge of Decker because we didn't want to have anything to do with the cornices hanging above that northwest face. They're spooky large. And, they have been performing. Lots of debris in the lower bowl. Some of the cornices along the upper ridge showed evidence of slowly peeling themselves away from the ridges themselves but had not yet completely failed and calved off..... yet.
* a crust is forming on south aspects now.
A cold beer was a welcome end to a fun day when we got back to the Village.
Be cautious about the overhead hazards tomorrow because the sun will be shining again and the temperatures will be warm. Many of the cornices looked overhung.
Wishing Everyone a great lead-up to Spring!
Best regards,
Dale Marcoux
ACMG Asst. Ski Guide
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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.
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