[MCR] Kootenays - Valkyr Range

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Just finished a week at Valkyr Lodge (south of Nakusp and west of the  
Valhalla Range). Primary concerns over the week were isolated areas  
of hard wind slab from a strong NE wind event mid-week, three weak  
surface hoar layers in the top meter, and large cornices.

Yesterday we had a significant storm, which started with moderate  
southwest winds all night and ended in the morning with a calm  
snowfall that put down close to 30 cm of snow in just a couple of  
hours (at one point I measured that it was snowing 9 cm per hour). We  
flew out at about noon and saw many avalanches on NE slopes, mostly  
soft slabs that I suspect were windslabs from the storm and/or  
failing on a surface hoar layer that would now be buried down about  
40-50 cm. Avalanche sizes were 1.5 - 2.

Mark Klassen
Mountain Guide


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