[MCR] South Coast ~ Spearhead Range

I spent the day travelling into the Spearhead Range with some colleagues and observed some of the current conditions in the mountains right now. High cloud began settling into the region heralding the beginning of a new storm cycle to come. Most notably were the conditions of the glaciers and results from testing the deep instability that lingers at the bottom of the snowpack. There are many open and large crevasses lurking in the high places right now. The need to thread a precise line through these hazardous mazes if required, or complete avoidance, is key up there currently. Flat light or new snow will make travel more challenging because some crevasses are only covered with a metre of snow in places, which is not enough to feel at ease out there and makes them difficult to detect. Please be cautious. Carry the right glacier-travel gear and know how to use it.
A crust and facet/weak layer, buried in early-November, linger near the base of the snowpack at treeline and alpine elevations and test results on this 'sandwich' vary. Only a few days ago, the layer was skier-triggered from a thin spot and produced a large, destructive avalanche here in the Whistler area. This layering has shown that it still has the potential to induce whole slopes to failure. Terrain to keep in mind are slopes that are smooth or convex (bulging), with rocks or thin spots, and where the underlying ground cover is smooth (like scree slopes or glacier ice/firn snow). The layer seems to be migrating toward wanting to gain strength and some test results have shown this, but confidence is low right now amongst professional observers; it's still early and the layer is not to be trusted for now.
Sheltered terrain offers good-quality dry snow for skiing. Carefully consider the scale (size), shape, and nature of the terrain you may want to ski. The usual early-season hazards exist out there, too, and include plenty of rocks, open crevasses (and plenty of them), stumps, and open creeks.
 
There's a storm brewing out there on the horizon....let it snow.
 
Best regards,
Dale Marcoux
ACMG Ski Guide

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