[MCR] Spearhead Traverse

Subject: [MCR] Spearhead Traverse
Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2012 00:25:00 -0700

Today Jamie Selda and I skied from Blackcomb to just above Naden Pass to drop off some groceries. The alpine lifts on Blackcomb were closed due to avalanche hazard brought on my warm temperatures. (Whistler Mountain is now closed for the season) So we started skinning from the bottom of the 7th Heaven lift, and at tree line the snow was isothermal, deeper then I could easily feel with my hand. Above 1900m there was a thin crust that held the upper pack together well, except on sunlit aspects where I could ski cut small sluffs in steep terrain. This crust held through the day. High clouds and a cooler temps made for idea fast traverse conditions. Recent warm conditions have caused many avalanches off many sunlit features. It started snowing with a strong southerly wind at 6pm. By 8pm, as we left the alpine, there was about 5cm of new snow accumulated on the old surface. Precip was rain below 1700m.     

Dave Sarkany SG

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