[MCR] Mt Assinboine, Rockies

Hi,


Just back from a few soggy days in Mt Assiniboine Park.  While the hiking trails are largely snow free there is still plenty of snow on the higher alpine peaks.  A break in the clouds on Thursday evening allowed a quick view to the summit of Mt Assiniboine itself.  The standard north ridge route is currently made up of much more snow than rock, which is not surprising given the type of summer we have had so far.


Of particular note was a recent (1-2 day old) size 3 slab avalanche off the northeast face of the mountain.  The avalanche released on an ice face above the glacier that lies on the bench below the north side of the mountain (~3000m elevation).  The fracture line extended below the bergshrund a short distance into lower angled terrain.  From my distant vantage point it appeared as if the failure layer was within the recent summer storm snow or possibly at a weak interface lingering in last winter's snowpack.  The bed surface was very white and not the ice face itself.  My suspicion is that spindrift from the rock face above accumulated on the ice face and formed a slab then failed when it became overloaded.


Heads up if you will be traveling on or below steep, high elevation snow slopes - seems like winter still hasn't left the higher peaks yet.


Jeff Volp

BC Parks/ACMG

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