[MCR] Rockies: Bow Summit

Today was a cold one to be out on the skis for the first time of the winter. It was a cold and clear -25 in Banff this morning.

We went to Bow Summit for an avalanche skills field day. There is about 100 cm of snow at road level, with probably half of that having fallen in the past few days. It is fairly unconsolidated and travel was heavy both up and down. There is some strength in the lower part of the snowpack so we weren't breaking through to the ground except in bushy areas, but the storm snow needs to settle some for the skiing to be any good.

There was an extensive avalanche cycle yesterday, with many loose snow avalanches running out of very steep and unskiable terrain. There were also many slab avalanches below cliffs, in gullies, on steep lee slopes and on steep rolls of the Crowfoot Glacier. Most avalanches were size 2 and seemed to have run at the storm snow/old snow interface.

There was moderate to strong wind loading occurring on the highest peaks and ridges today, but no wind at lower elevations. We had a maximum temperature of -15.5 at mid-day.

Mark Klassen

ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

Banff-Lake Louise, Canada

www.alpinism.com/2013/avalanche-skills-training-2/

www.alpinism.com/2013/guided-powder-skiing-in-japan/

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