[MCR] Rogers Pass west side

Yesterday we skied off McGill Shoulder in the west end of Glacier Park and found a significantly deeper snowpack than the day before in Connaught Creek.

About 65 cm of storm snow and about 130 cm total at 1600 m. Snow depth tapered suddenly to about 50 cm around 1200 m where the freezing levels must have been lingering earlier the autumn. There are still lots of alder and small conifers in open areas (we got up to 1800 m).

December 8 surface hoar was below the storm snow and faceted snow below that. The snowpack is still mostly weak (mostly fist or four finger strength) and there are no significant slabs in the snowpack so there were few signs of instability. We did not see any avalanches but we had poor visibility.

It will take wind to stiffen the surface and/or settlement to stiffen the storm snow to cause slabs to form and the weak snow to fail. Both wind and settlement were beginning to happen yesterday but had not reached critical values where we were.

Ski quality was good above 1200 m in open areas away from alders and small conifers.

Mark Klassen

ACMG/IFMGA Mountain Guide

Banff-Lake Louise, Canada

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