[MCR] Rogers Pass conditions March 17 - 19.

 

Excellent snow quality last three days.

March 17^th skied the Cheops area (Hourglass & E slopes to highway). No new avalanches, no whumpfs/cracks or ski cutting results apart from limited power sloughing.

 

March 18^th , clear sunny day skiing onto the Asulkan glacier up to 2550M (below Leda pk). Snowpack tests in this area revealed no results. A cool day with  –11. We saw one size 1.5 from a steep wind loaded SW slope below treeline however more action occurred later (see below).

 

Today (19^th) we went up Connaught creek to ski Ursus bowl (2300M) and Balu pass slopes. Video peak was baking in early pm sun. Test pit on steep NE slope (2120M) yielded moderate to hard results 20 and 45 down. No whumpfs, cracks or ski cutting results where we skied. Widespread sun crust mid treeline and below on solar aspects.

 

 Upon our return today we received reports of Two large avalanches up to size 3 from the East face of Mt. Abbott that slid yesterday sometime after 5pm. Reports are that the Abbott avalanche was initiated by a small cornice failure sometime after 5 PM.

 

Consensus from discussions with colleagues at the Pass is that the snowpack though settling still has many overloaded areas that are ripe for a natural or artificial trigger especially in large open and steep alpine features.

Eric Dumerac- Professional Mountain Guide
✆ 403-609-1564 
Mountain Skills Academy 

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