[MCR] Evening Ridge area / West Kootenays / South Selkirks

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Some more observations from another AST course yesterday.
 
7:20am in Nelson (550m)  -3.5C
8:00am at Evening Ridge Parking (1500m)  -16.5C (Yikes!)
 
At noon at ~1600m it was -6C and clear with thick valley fog.  On a low
angle southerly aspect the tree bombs started firing left, right and centre.
Definitely the biggest hazard of the day.  The 15cm surface layer from the
last storm was very low density but we saw it densify enough over the day to
produce small soft slab avalanches with tree bomb triggers on a west aspect.
We didn't get very high, but It would have been interesting to see what the
temps were at higher elevations with the inversion.
 
Warmer temps earlier in the week have settled out the midpack nicely and it
carries a skier much better than it did last Sunday.  Some less consolidated
snow still exist beneath the early Nov. rain crust but this crust is
starting to break down.
 
Of note was a significant surface hoar layer with crystals in the 3-6mm
range but some up to 10mm!  This could be problematic if the forecasted warm
snow amounts to much.
 
Cheers,
Shaun King  ACMG / UIAGM Mountain Guide
Mountain Sense Guiding & Instruction
www.mountainsense.ca  
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