[MCR] Selkirk Mountains, Kootenay Pass

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

After two days of mild, wet weather in Nelson, I was expecting slushy 
conditions in Kootenay Pass today.  It was mild, but the skiing was 
great.  At the highway elevation about 35cm of snow (and some rain) 
accumulated during the past storm.

We toured around Baldy Rocks and The Crags and made ski runs on 
southeastern and southern aspects through an elevation range of 2200m to 
1800m.  We dug two hasty pits on different aspects at 2100m.  The Dec 29 
surface hoar was found down 70cm on the western aspect and reacted to 
moderate to hard compression tests with planar shears.  On the 
southeastern aspect the Dec 29 crust (no surface hoar) was down 35cm and 
produced no results.  On both aspects the storm snow was reacting to 
moderate compression tests with progressive failures.  We skied mostly 
moderate terrain, but ski cutting steeper convex rolls produced only 
sloughing.  There was no evidence of recent avalanche activity although 
there was some snowballing on the lower southern aspects.

There seemed to be a 'stepped' temperature change around the 2000m 
level.  Below this elevation the temperature was near freezing, above 
the temperature was -3.  The sky was overcast most of the day with a 
brief sun appearance mid-day.  Later, a system moved in and snow was 
falling when we got back to the car at 3:30PM.  At the lower elevations 
the snow was moist.  While skinning up from the bottom of our runs, the 
snow was starting to ball up under our skis.

Craig Hollinger,
ACMG Assistant Ski Guide.