Staff training day today in King Creek. All the ice climbs are in good shape at the moment, and the ice was suprisingly not brittle given the amount of cold weather we have recently had. Rapid warming through the day with temperatures near -23 at 9:00am and close to 0 degrees at noon. This temperature change and the steady winds produced a lot of sluffing from the gullies and side walls in the canyon. One gully with a north aspect produced a significant slide that hit the regular trail. This slide certainly could have knocked a person over and easily buried them, as it covered the entire gully and actually crossed the creek a short distance. Keep a close eye on these gullies in the next few days if you are heading up the canyon. It is prudent to travel one at a time through these terrain features and keep a keen eye on the terrain above you. If really warm temperatures and windy conditions prevail, it may be worth avoiding this area all together, or at least consider the use of a transeiver, shovel and probe.
Play safe.
Jeremy Mackenzie
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
Kananaskis Country Public Safety
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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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