[MCR] Sekirks: Valkyr Range

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Another week in the Valkyr Range, teaching an avalanche course.

As with all other areas there was an extensive avalanche cycle here  
in early January. Many lee slopes avalanched, especially east  
aspects. Avalanches were generally size 2 - 3, with some timber down.  
The most recent avalanche we've noted occurred on Jan 12.

Snowpack ranges from 140 cm at lower elevations to 240 cm in some  
alpine areas. Generally 200 cm at treeline. Coverage seems better  
than average for this time of year as the upper and mid pack is very  
well settled and carries well.

The December facets on the ground are about 70 cm thick and are 1F to  
4F resistance. The midpack slab overlying them is 50-100cm thick and  
1F to P resistance. We have had consistent moderate to hard  
compression test results on this layer, with a sudden collapse  
fracture character.

Temperatures have been incredibly warm, a maximum of +7 today, with a  
minimum of +2 last night. It doesn't look like it is going to freeze  
tonight either. Also incredibly, it doesn't seem like the warm temps  
have affected stability overly as test scores remain the same and no  
new avalanches have been noted. We'll see how long that lasts.

That said, we have little confidence in the snowpack and are sticking  
to small, supported terrain features to 35 degrees, low angle terrain  
and avoiding overhead hazard (especially cornices) and terrain traps.  
Experience has taught us that a persistent instability of this type  
is untrustworthy and has the potential to do unpredictable things. If  
something does go haywire it is going to be big and ugly. I don't  
want to get involved in anything like the avalanche that ran here  
recently, which tore up 100 year old trees by the roots.

We have found good, fast, low ski-pen turns on shaded aspects and low  
angled terrain elsewhere.

Mark Klassen
Mountain Guide


-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://six.pairlist.net/pipermail/mcr/attachments/20090117/67d27728/attachment.htm>