[MCR] Rogers Pass Dec 7th and 8th

Dec 8^th 2012

 

Over the past two days we have skied in the Connaught drainage of the Rogers Pass with two groups of freeriders and Pro skiers Chris Rubens and Greg Hill.

 

The weather over the past two days had a cooling trend (-5 to -15) with overcast skies on the 7^th and clearing today. Intermittent flurries brought up to 15cm low-density new snow over top of 60cms from the last week.

 

Of note was the lack of wind effect associated with the precip and no wind effect seen at ridge top and tree line. Only sluffing from steep terrain was observed for avalanche activity, and a small size one off of video peak that failed in the top 30cms of snow. Our primary concern was the buried wind slab from earlier in the week that we had trouble finding in most areas. The Nov. 28 surface hoar layer now down 70 to 100cm in the snowpack was also hard to locate with moderate “resistant planar” shears in our test profiles. The Nov 6^th rain crust was identified down 130 to 180cms depending on the feature. Very hard compression test results showed “sudden collapse” (drop) on the rain crust. We steered clear of wide open planar slopes at tree line and in the alpine with respect to the rain crust.

 

Overall our confidence grew throughout the days and we skied terrain at and below tree line up to 45 degrees in small micro convoluted terrain. Still of note is the rapid taper of snow coverage below 1400m. Open creeks and barely covered alders and small trees were hazards to watch out for.

 

Conditions are about to deteriorate as a warm, wet and windy low front approaches over the next 24hrs.

 

Ski safe

 

Richard Paradis SG

Marty Schaffer SG

Kevin Hjertaas ASG

Brodie Smith ASG

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