[MCR] Wapta Icefields Conditions

Subject: [MCR] Wapta Icefields Conditions
Date: Sat, 16 Nov 2013 17:10:55 -0700
For those interested, myself and Grant Meekins just came back from a week based 
out of Bow Hut on the Wapta.

Conditions on the ski in were not very inspiring. The average snow depth was 
15cm’s, but we were able to ski from the car right to the hut. The canyon 
didn’t present too much difficulty, two sections had to be walked.

Temperatures were mild throughout the week, and we received 35cm’s of snow in 
the alpine, along with moderate to extreme winds from the S - W.

We made ascents of Mt.Gordon, Mt.Olive, the Onion and a trip over to Mt.Rhonda. 
Snow cover on the glacier was as thin as we have ever “skied” it. Average snow 
depth on the glacier was 80cm as of yesterday, with open crevasses and exposed 
ice on the convex rolls. The normal way to Mt.Gordon was impassable due to open 
crevasses. 

The only day we had visibility (Tuesday) we saw several natural slab avalanches 
up to size 2.5 on NE and N aspects triggered by wind loading. 

Our main concerns were windslabs in the alpine that could be easily triggered 
by a skier in steep terrain, falling into a crevasse while skiing unroped, and 
cranking a rock in the shallow snow near and below the hut and ruining our 
skies and our ski season. 

We managed those concerns by generally avoiding avalanche terrain, using the 
rope on the glacier (sometimes both up and down) and carefully probing a route 
if we wanted to ski it unroped. The ski down from the hut, was more side 
slipping, kick turning and snow plowing than anything else.

Not much info these days as the season gets going, so hopefully that’s useful 
for folks in the Rockies.

Cheers
Jason Billing


Jason Billing
Yamnuska Mountain Adventures
ACMG Alpine Guide/Apprentice Ski Guide
403.609.7602



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