Adding to my post of yesterday; today we skied on Observation Peak just
above Bow Summit. It was a very different world here with 60 to 110 cm of snow
on the ground averaging about 75 cm. deep. There was one old avalanche out of a
big SW facing path. Judging from the snow on the debris it ran naturally
on Dec. 4 or 5 for about 500 meters linear distance. We found variable
compression test results above, within and below the early November crust
ranging from easy to hard but all were sudden collapse fracture character.
Despite the numerous aggressive ski tracks you could see in many steep features
on the peak ,the variability in the snow pack strength made me conclude it was
more prudent to wait until spring for those lines and we skied moderate tree
line runs and generally minimized our exposure to the bigger features on
Observation peak.
Best regards and play safe.
James Blench IFMGA