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Thread: Interior BC Ski Conditions 08/09
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11-24-2008, 11:02 PM #1
Interior BC Ski Conditions 08/09
[edit]Adding a useful links section...
Rogers Pass avy bulletin, updated ~8am PST
Environment Canada's forecast for Revelstoke, horribly inaccurate, but the best available
GAH Sentry webcam, located at 2100m (treeline) about 30km(?) North of Rogers Pass
BC Highway Cam for Rogers Pass, with links to other useful cams
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Condition reports, questions, comments and anything related to the BC Interior are welcome here. Bragging is especially approved of. Misinformation and general stupidity will result in me telling you Balu Pass is a great place to ski on a sunny Saturday...
I'll start it off with the past 3 days of skiing.
November 21st, solo trip up to Balu Pass, then partway up the Cheops shoulder before skiing a fun little chute. The Balu headwall had ~60cm of w/l snow, it was snowing a bit, blowing like hell and generally typical Roger's Pass weather.
No pit was dug, but the freshly buried surface hoar layer was peeling out very easily, down 20cms. Slope cuts are your friend...
The below picture demonstrates that there is no fucking snow here. Furthermore, when there is snow it tends to be kinda unstable. (Look familiar Lee?)
Said fun little chute:
Said hoar frost layer reacting to slope cuts:
Top of the chute. Maybe I should've gotten my ski tips in there?
Last edited by Wiilbert; 12-05-2008 at 02:19 PM.
Originally Posted by grrrr
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11-24-2008, 11:17 PM #2
November 23rd. 2 years in a row I've managed to have bluebird weather in the Pass for my birthday. I caught 2 guys on the skin track with ice axes, they looked like they meant business so I asked if I could tag along. Turns out that was a good plan...
We attempted to summit Ursus Minor and ended up making it within 50m of the summit. We settle for summiting some fucking bump that had a good view.
Stability tests on the way up were spooky. Pits were at 2600m and 2700m, both SE facing and had the November raincrust failing in the moderate range and the surface hoar layer down 20cm failing easily. Lots of wind loading was evident, as you can see in the first picture with Video Peak in the background:
The little chute I skied a couple days earlier is visible here, middle ground right of centre, gunsight notch:
Skiing with other people is fun, if nothing else than for taking picture of people actually skiing:
Originally Posted by grrrr
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11-24-2008, 11:35 PM #3
Skiing today, up Asulkan this time. Amazing how a little bit of time makes me forget how much I hate the walk out of there. Alive and I skinned up to the aptly named Mousetrap, then up the Ravens slide path before dropping down the Lookout Couliors. Weather was high overcast all day, temps were fairly cold. Some new surface hoar was evident, but not widespread.
Pits were at 1700m and 2100m, W and NW facing respectively. The recent surface hoar layer is still down 20cm and was reacting very easily to compression tests (CT-e2). Another layer down 65cm was failing in the moderate range, while the November rain crust was down ~85cm and failing on 23 taps or not at all, but with a quick and clean shear.
The chutes we skied and the snow were both fucking awesome and it has been awhile since I had to ski with a headlamp on. Both the Ravens and the Lookout amphitheatre exit weren't too alder choked. Anybody that ends up skiing these chutes, apparently it's better to put the skins on and traverse back to the Ravens. Oh well, next time...
7 Steps and Asulkan Glacier, needs more snow:
Close up of Forever Young and Young's Peak:
Lookout Notch in the foreground. Ursus Minor from yesterday is on the skyline, far left.
Alive:
Originally Posted by grrrr
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11-24-2008, 11:51 PM #4
thx R - here's my contribution
http://www.leelau.net/2008/rogers2008_11_22/
If the coast drought keeps up I might be out there again in a couple of weeks. Planning on Rossland area end of January. Maybe use this thread for South Kootenay obs too?
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11-25-2008, 12:01 AM #5
Sure thing. Current Rossland conditions are... bring your bike.
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11-25-2008, 05:28 AM #6
Totally off topic, but your photo reminded me of one I have. Thanks for clearing up some names. I've skied the Pass a fair bit, but I've never been one for names, I never knew I skied an icey Forever Young. Here's the photo, sun causing some long sluffs down what I know know is called Lookout Notch. You can see the action in the photo. And a shot of yours truly skiing what must be on of the same chutes you guys skied today.
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11-25-2008, 01:02 PM #7
Excellent info, Wiibert, and some good looking powder turns as well. Not a bad way to spend a birthday!
Hoping this thread becomes a useful resource this winter.
(Psst. Guy's name was A.B. Rogers, so don't need the ' in Rogers Pass. )
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11-25-2008, 01:30 PM #8
I also hope it becomes a useful resource. I think the Wasatch thread kicks ass and we need more like it. Thanks for the clarification on the name, oops...
Addict, looks like the chute you skied is one of the bigger better ones a bit higher up the ridge from mine. It was too bony to ski at this time of year, so we opted for a mellower line.Originally Posted by grrrr
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11-25-2008, 04:44 PM #9
Both avalanche.ca (outlook at the bottom of the bulletin) and snow-forecast.com are forecasting 3000m + freezing levels starting late Saturday. Wtf is going on this fall/winter?
Better get after it on Sat morning.
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11-25-2008, 05:08 PM #10
r - I'm sure you already know this but the slog up Asulkan is incredibly tedious and boring. you can get to Lookout Col a little quicker by going direct up the moraine from the Great Glacier trail side and then trending climbers right - ie W to a series of small benches below the neve. From there you can ski the Lookout notch (never heard them called that but its a good a name as any). It saves you about an hour from the asulkan flat slog
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11-25-2008, 05:11 PM #11
Yup, that approach seems to go on forever, doesn't it? I was with a group heading into the cabin about a year and a half ago- mix of tele skiers and alpine skiers and one guy doing his first ever tour on a split board. He lost an edge on that endless approach and slid into the creek, then had to finish the flats and the climb in cold, wet boots. Never did get them entirely dried out. Me, I woulda turned around and gone home.
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11-25-2008, 06:39 PM #12
T2C and I skiid on Avalanche mtn. and NRC gully on Sunday. We could see the skin track you guys set to go up to Ursus Minor! You probably had better skiing than us as we had lots of alders, snow snakes and bumps.
That'l learn me for being lazy and not wanting to go on a long in before going up!
The new snow was sliding a little on the Huer but nothing that propogated much. I imagine as the new snow condenses it will form more dangerous slabs.
Anyway, Its not the avy danger keeping me away for the next little while....its the lack of snow!
Not enough for my liking!Last edited by Huckin eh?; 11-25-2008 at 06:42 PM.
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11-25-2008, 07:50 PM #13
Thanks for the posts. My girlfriend and I are making a trip to Revy, KHMR, and Banff after xmas. I'm pretty sure that I'll be checking this thread at least twice a day between now and then. Keep it up!
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11-25-2008, 08:13 PM #14
Just FYI - NRC Gullies and Avalanche Mtn don't hold snow very well and that's why they're not good places for early season. In general look for windloaded features with parallel contours to prevailing winds to scoop and hold snow with the caveat of safety of course. Just for example, the Gullies are windward and rocky and tend to hold facets well - which is why they're good for teaching AST courses (safe and interesting courses) but not terribly good for skiing till they get a good base.
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11-25-2008, 11:24 PM #15
Yea, have to say it again, the snow fantastic on Monday up the Ravens and Lookout chutes... Lots of lines available up the Asulkan if you are willing to deal with flat aproach. It was worth it...
Wiilbert droping in to the chute...
The light sure was poor, the only decent Pic that turned out.
Can't wait to get back...
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11-26-2008, 12:01 AM #16
I was out this morning for a little tour up Balu. Recycled powder conditions prevailed. Lots of tracks and a lot more snow than there was last time I headed out. Started snowing lightly when we left but a lot of wind was accompanying it.
Big mountain or Bust.
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11-26-2008, 01:03 AM #17
New thread title as per Lee's advice. Thanks Suit!
I fucking bailed at work tonight and sprained (maybe broke) a finger, but I'm planning to try to hit the Pass in the AM. If I can't effectively gesture at telemarkers, I might just have to stay home.
A, it's a shame we didn't have better light, I didn't get any great pics of you either.Originally Posted by grrrr
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11-27-2008, 03:03 PM #18
1 pic from the hill today. It was decent, but certainly early season. Back to the Pass in a couple days.
T2C and Sentinel, nice meeting you guys. Let me know what your plans are for Saturday and I might try to join you if that's cool.
Originally Posted by grrrr
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11-27-2008, 07:28 PM #19
Some excellent pictures in this thread!
Looks like some precip in the forecast, but how much and what type.
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11-27-2008, 07:40 PM #20
We're still waiting on another 30-50cm to bring the PG region up to par.
I don't work and I don't save, desperate women pay my way.
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11-27-2008, 07:45 PM #21
We have squat in Rossland. Still. People are twitching.
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11-27-2008, 09:35 PM #22
Anyone skiing the pass this weekend who wouldn't mind 1 extra tagging along? Looking for skiing partners for a day-trip.
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11-28-2008, 12:22 AM #23
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11-28-2008, 01:03 AM #24
I don't believe so. Neither I, nor anybody I ski with, has been up that way thus far. However, there was this cool photo post from just a week ago saying there was only 20cm
http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s....php?p=2116611
and very little in the way of precip has come through here since then.
Sometimes I envy the folks in parts elsewhere that can ski with next to no snow coverage. It is super boney here. I'd hesitate to go without a meter on the ground. Might be the flashbacks of my pal splitting his kneecap in half on a rock in the early season way back when, or another buddy, just last season, hitting one rock just under the surface which took him down, landing on another and cracking a rib.
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12-01-2008, 09:36 PM #25
I skied the hill yesterday and nailed a bunch of rocks. That, combined with the mushy brown snow leading from the gondola to the chair convinced me not to go back until we get at least 60cms up there.
Was up in the Pass today checking things out, it was warm for sure, but not as bad as I had expected. We skied a line near Balu Pass (sigh).
Snowline was below the Bostock trailhead and appears to have remained there for awhile. Below ~1900m, the snow was very wet and heavy. Should make for comical skinning conditions if it gets colder than the current forecast calls for over the next few days. Weather was windy as fuck with a couple cms on my car when we got back, snowing harder higher up. The snow higher up was thick and creamy, very fun to ski and only a tiny bit upside down. It was also, predictably, falling partially as graupel...
Only 1 respectable pit was dug, E facing 22 degree slope near where a few .5's and 1's had peeled out last weekend on the Nov 21st surface hoar. Said hoar is now down ~40cm in that area and was failing CT0 Q3 shear (failed when the shovel was placed on the column). On more exposed aspects, it was failing in the moderate range with the same Q3 shear using quick pole-pit shear tests. Slope cuts and the 5 footer I jumped off of into the chute yielded no results.
The November rain crust gave no results in that area. It's worth pointing out that we were quite close to my Ursus Minor day where the same rain crust failed fast and smooth down ~100cm on the 13th tap. WTF is spatial variability?
Today's line:
Today's weather:
Originally Posted by grrrr
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