[MCR] Popes Peak Area, Yoho National Park, Rockies

Skied into the N facing bowl on Popes Peak/Narao Shoulder area to take a look at some of the NE facing couloirs up high today. -5 in the Lake O'Hara parking lot at 9am. Quick pit at 2240m on a W aspect @ treeline found moist snow (rounding facets) in the bottom 30cms above the ground, which we thought was quite interesting. Didn't seem to be affecting the snow sticking to the terrain however. W face of Narao shoulder is blown clean in the alpine, but we did find good powder over a supportive midpack in the "Popes Larches" (NE aspect in the hanging valley). Once we were in the bowl the couloirs were nowhere to be found, visibility was non-existent above about 2500m. The W facing run down Narao shoulder through the trees was excellent skiing from 2350m to about 1900m and then the snowpack became punchy, and you had to be careful to not be face down in the willows. Snow started about 1230pm and kept going all afternoon until we got back to the car, where it was -1 and there was 2cm of fresh.

 

Will Woods

AHG, AVI1

 

via

Peter Tucker
Executive Director
B: +1.403.949.3587
M: +1.403.689.4324
ed@xxxxxxx  |  www.acmg.ca

 

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