[MCR] Whitewater backcountry, southern Selkirks

Hi all,

Today we went for a fun afternoon tour in the backcountry above the Whitwater ski resort (Prospector bowl). We skied treeline and below treeline terrain between 2200m and 1700m. We had scattered sky conditions and no winds. The snowpack height varied from 120cm higher up to 80cm near the parking lot. The skiing and traveling conditions were fast and excellent with ski penetration in the 10-20cm range.

We did not see any new avalanche or signs of instability in the snowpack. However, we observed widespread surface hoar to 20mm with an average of about 10mm in all skied areas. Also, the top 10-15cm of the snowpack showed advanced signs of facetting, this snow was quite soft and sugary. 

The weather forecast is predicting a warm front this week-end with heavy precipitation and rising freezing levels. If the forecast materialize, this surface layer will take careful monitoring as the new denser snow accumulates over it. It will likely produce avalanches.

We have enjoyed very good snow stability in the last week. Enjoy it while you can, we will most likely need to pull back and adjust to the changing conditions as this next storm evolves.

Cheers,

David Lussier
ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide
www.summitmountainguides.com

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