[MCR] Selkirk Mountains, Whitewater ski area

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Quite a stormy day in the Whitewater ski area backcountry today.  Winter
is back, at least for now.  Plenty of snow transport with the moderate
southwest winds gusting to strong above 2000m.  There was also some snow 
falling, but I think the wind transport was having a greater affect on 
accumulations.

We circumnavigated Ymir Peak to check out the conditions on various
aspects.  We skied an elevation range of 1750m to 2300m.  A supportive 
crust (doesn't break when you ski on it) exists on all aspects and 
elevations we were on.  Up to 15-20cm of new snow sits on the crust and 
made the skiing very enjoyable.  The snow wasn't bonding well to the 
crust but it also hadn't been blown yet into a slab, so we didn't see 
any avalanche activity.  The air temperature was steady around -7 to -8 
depending on elevation.

We managed to get a lot of good turns on various aspects, but we
employed the usual cautions: stuck to low angle terrain, avoided convex
rolls, skied slopes one at a time, etc.  Looks like the storm will
continue for another day, so I'd expect stability to deteriorate as the 
new snow slabs up.  I'd be employing extra cautions if I went out tomorrow.

Play safely.

Craig Hollinger,
ACMG Assistant Ski Guide.