[MCR] South Purcells

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Here are some observations from a great day spent touring around the
southern Purcells east of Crawford Bay. 

Weather: Clear sky in the morning, overcast in the afternoon with few
light snow flurries. Cold temperatures, with a low of -21 recorded this
morning in the valley bottom (1650m). Winds generally calm except light
from the south at ridgetop (2500m).

Snowpack: Average of 130cm at treeline elevations. 
- The surface is variable depending on location. In sheltered areas
there is surface hoar to 10mm mixed in with about 2-3cm of very low
density snow that fell last night and today. On steep south aspects
there is a thin (skiable) suncrust down about 3cm. Strong SE winds
yesterday loaded some areas and left some hard slab in exposed alpine
locations. Below 1700m there is a rain crust down about 15cm from last
week's warm storm.

A test profile at 2250m in a low angled SW aspect meadow revealed the
following:
-The upper 40cm of the snowpack is comprised of last week's storm snow.
It is mostly 4-finger hardness with about 15 cm of Fist hardness snow at
the surface. 
- There is layer of small surface hoar (~5mm) down 60cm that was buried
in early December. The mid-pack is mostly 1-finger hardness snow, with
about 5cm of weaker facets just below the surface hoar.
-The base of the pack is made up of larger, moist, facetted crystals.
Remnants of the early November rain crust were present but it has almost
completely decomposed. 

Test Results:
-Moderate, resistant planar shears in the top 30cm. There were 3
indistinct shear layers, all failing in the moderate range. The snow
crystals at the shears were small groupel and rimed new snow. 
-Hard, sudden planar compression test results on the surface hoar down
60cm.
-No results at the basal crust/facets 

Avalanche Activity: Nothing recent. A few size 2 avalanches out of very
steep north facing terrain that looked about 5 days old, all on
unsupported features in the alpine. Some ski cutting of small
unsupported features at treeline and below showed no sign of
instability. 

Overall the snowpack is feeling good this year. Ski quality was
excellent with a dusting of light powder over last week's storm snow.

Happy Turns,

Jeff Volp
Ski Guide
Kimberley, BC 


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