Made a last minute change of plans after I found out that permits are still in effect for the Pass and Loop Brook was going to be closed for the day. Ended up Connaught ck. behind hotel.
A good freeze overnight made for fast travel in the valley on my way to Bruins Pass – I ended up ascending 8812 bowl skinning the very bottom and top and bootpacking the middle section on a holding crust with a yielding surface that made for good steps.
I skied one line off the North side of Bruins Pass as well as runs on the north side of Ursus Major and Pk. 8812 – great powder on these N. aspects as low as 2100m. – no shears in the upper snowpack with 20-25cms of new storm snow over a well settled base.
Solar aspects gave great corn today if you had the timing right – I skied back down the SE aspect of 8812 bowl at around 3:00PM and it was great skiing with a supporting crust under 5 cms of corn, the crust became barely holding on the steeper slopes just above the valley bottom. The rest of the run out was perfect corn to the highway!
A Pass down the NW bowl of Cheops likewise held soft snow with a little bit of downflow wind affect just above the valley bottom.
No real activity today even on the solar aspects – the avalanche crew did a registration shoot with the Howitzer today and all the rounds I observed on the Westerly aspects of Avalanche Crest and Macdonald Shoulder failed to produce even loose snow sluffs.
Looks like one more day of great conditions out there – so if you have the day off tomorrow – check it out!
Cheers,
Scott Davis
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide