[MCR] Rogers Pass avalanche cycle Nov.19/2013

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

I sent this last night but it didn't get through so here it is now!

 

Finally made it to the pass by noon today after several road delays etc.,
just enough time to check things out.

 

Weather - 40+ cms of snow in the last 24hours! Oh ya, and really strong SW
winds (in excess of 100km/hr). Temps have stayed in the negative range but
warmed slightly during the storm. Today we experienced the trailing edge of
the system with squalls providing snowshowers in the 2+cm/hr range and gusty
winds at ridgetop and temps just below freezing at the trailhead.

 

Avalanches - Lots! Numerous size 2.5-3.5 avalanches off large alpine slide
paths ran to valley bottom (pretty much all of the paths off the north side
of Mt. Cheops ran, as well as Frequent Flyer- which ran over the previous
uptrack, and the Grizzly slide path - the one that faces Connaught Ck,)-
looks like they had all ran within the last 12 hours near the end of the
storm. I guess that means we are officially at threshold! During my limited
skiing below treeline I didn't hear any whumphfs or see any cracking etc. -
mind you I wouldn't extrapolate that too far into the TL and ALP terrain!

 

Snowpack - Lots of new snow modified by winds from the last system - I found
windslabbed snow into the Below Treeline terrain so I expect it to be much
worse up high.

 

Travel Conditions - Deep in both directions - thanks to those that broke
trail up the valley this morning - they did a good job of keeping the track
as high on the climbers right side of the drainage as possible.

 

General Comment - Okay this kind of storm needs a bit of time to settle - so
keep it real when the sun comes out!

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