[MCR] Rockies, Icefall Lodge, Mt Forbes

Subject: [MCR] Rockies, Icefall Lodge, Mt Forbes
Date: Thu, 5 May 2011 20:22:45 -0600
Skied the last week at Icefall Lodge. The week started with spring conditions, 
good freezes overnight, supportive crusts and dry powder on north aspects. 
Since Tuesday May 3  15 cm of snow has fallen at 2500m. This is settling 
quickly at lower elevations. This morning at 1900m we had a temperature of -.5 
and a 5 cm thick crust which supported most of the morning. North aspect now 
have a temperature crust up to 2200m with dry snow above. There was some 
cracking around our skis on wind loaded areas near ridge line but we weren't 
able to ski cut any avalanches. 
On May 2 we climbed Mt Forbes and skied from the shoulder 150m below the 
summit. A party the day before had skied from the summit. There are large 
patches of bare ice on the east side of the face but the centre is pretty well 
covered, picture below. The North Glacier of Forbes also has large patches of 
blue ice on the side, but had over 320 cm of snow in several places we probed.  
The Lyell and Mons Glaciers appeared to have better coverage and were over 
320cm everywhere we probed. The valleys in Glacier Lake and Alexandra still 
looked to be well covered with snow.

image/jpg

Larry Dolecki
Mountain Guide
www.icefall.ca 


Icefall Lodge
Box 84104
Calgary, AB T3A 5C4
403-270-8537



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