[MCR] Rockies, Sinatra Falls, Barrier Dam Seeps

Subject: [MCR] Rockies, Sinatra Falls, Barrier Dam Seeps
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2012 17:16:36 -0700
An interesting day in the Kananaskis today, Dec 1st. The Nakiska ridgetop 
weather station told the story at 6 am, it was -2 C up there and -15 C down in 
Canmore where I had to scrape hard to get the frost off of my windshield. When 
we got to the Galatea parking lot it was above 0 C and the snow was moist. 
Moist snow all the way to Sinatra Falls where the sun peaked out and started 
dollops of snow falling from the steep rockwalls. There was pinwheeling 
happening down both sides of drainage, given the huge amount of mountain over 
our heads we opted to turn tail and skedaddle. I didn't expect to see a sun and 
heat avalanche hazard there today. There are windslabs sitting at the bottom of 
the route and there is enough snow there to avalanche. Our walking away 
coincided with a thick low cloud cover blotting out the sun and stopping the 
pinwheeling, of course, but the snow remained moist.

Back at Barrier Dam it was well below zero, dry snow and good ice on the seeps 
there. We salvaged some climbing.

Happy trails,

Barry Blanchard
Mountain Guide
www.barryblanchard.ca
www.yamnuska.com

Sinatra Falls Dec 1:

image/jpg

_______________________________________________
These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The 
ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in 
continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable 
nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information 
provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions 
Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.
See http://acmg.ca/mcr for more information.
See http://informalex.org/subscribe.shtml#unsubscribe to remove your name from 
this list.