[MCR] Whistler to Lake Louise

Over the past week I've had the opportunity to ski in the Coast Range (Whistler area), the Monashees (Gorge), the Rockies (Bow Lake area) and today in the Selkirks (Rogers Pass).

The common denominator in all the ranges is that the snowpacks are thin, weak and facetted. Even with 50 cm of recent storm snow in Rogers Pass there is still little more than a meter at treeline in the Ursus area. Last week there was about a meter give or take in the alpine in the Whistler area and a report from a colleague there today said they had only received 10 cm of snow in the past week. The Rockies are significantly thinner than that with barely enough snow to travel up towards Bow Hut. The winner from what I have seen are the Monashees where there was about 120 cm below treeline earlier this week and it has been snowing steadily since then.

All these areas have layered snowpacks with persistent weak crystals, not much avalanche activity at the moment but it will just take some more snowfall or densification of the snow that has fallen recently for things to start to go off I figure.

That all said there was good ski quality in the Gorge (Monashees) a few days ago and in Hospital Bowl at Rogers Pass today.

Mark Klassen

ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

Banff-Lake Louise, Canada

www.alpinism.com/elbrus

www.alpinism.com/japan

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