Kootenay snow pack Nov 2009

[KrazyCanadian]

Happy New Year,,, sledding is excellent.. Road the Rossland Range the last two days and probed 25 different spots..

2000' - 12 inches
3000' - 23 inches
4000' - 30 inches
5000' - between 4 and 4 1/2 feet
6000' - between 4 1/2 and 5 1/2 feet
7000' - between 5 and 6 feet

The Norns range usually has 1 to 2 feet more than the Rossland Range I wouldn't be surprised to find pockets with 9 feet up in the Toilet Bowl and near the Ladybird Cabin..

Rover/Snowater area should be the same too..

The Valhallas must have 9' up at the 8000' to 9000' areas

 

[xpsledneck]

hey all rode the norns thursday and grizzly sat i must say the locals we met at the norns are an awsome groupe of people. We have never riden that area befor and were toured around by some people we met up there. one guy took me down to the basement well my friends stayed at the chalet and chated with the outhers due to riding skill. I must say i was nervice at first but once at the bottom all i can say is beautiful.
A huge THANKS to those locals who also invited us for drinks at there place on pass creek road for new years.
As for the riding area on grizzly it was the best snow and deepest powder i have ridden in a long time and the area is a well kept secret with the locals and i can see why. hope to be back soon.
ride safe and keep the track side down.

 

[RGM]

Heard someone died in an avy around Rossland. Anyone have more info

 

[shiznitt100]

ROSSLAND, B.C. — Emergency crews are at the scene of an avalanche in south central British Columbia and RCMP say one person may be trapped.

The Mounties say the avalanche was reported around 3:30 p.m. local time in the Mount Mackie area, near Rossland, B.C. The report was called in from a snowmobiler. RCMP in nearby Trail, B.C. and search and rescue crews are at the scene.

It was reported that one person may be trapped, RCMP said in a statement.

But police say rescuers have yet to confirm that report.

 

[enis750]

not good news...at all
K.K did you know this girl that was taken from us today?

my prayers are w fam and friends

 

[Crazed]

CALGARY - On the hills he was fearless, with his patients he was passionate, and when speaking to people in power, he was persuasive.

Friends and colleagues are grieving the loss of Canmore resident Andy Troszok, the season's first avalanche fatality. He died Monday in a slide near Rossland, B.C.

Troszok, 39, was engaged to be married in three months and was a pharmacist who became a leader in the online mail-order pharmaceutical industry.

As a co-owner of Extended Care Pharmacy in Calgary, and a founder of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association, he was on the frontlines of providing cheaper prescription medicines to Americans. His spoke to parliamentary committees in Ottawa and to the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C.

He was passionate about health care, the outdoors and skiing.

RCMP say the avalanche hit a Mount Mackie slope when a group of four skiers, who had accessed the remote location by snowmobile, were on the mountain. Three got out of the way, but Troszok was caught in the middle and died. All were experienced and had the appropriate avalanche equipment, said RCMP.

"He was very, very careful," said business partner Diaa Arsany. "He always had the right gear, right equipment. Always. He liked adventure and liked winter sports, but he always was very careful."

Arsany describes his friend as fearless, always seeking adventure.

"He wasn't scared of anything. He loved the outdoors, and he was a very, very good skier. He liked challenges in sports; like he would go to no man's place to enjoy nature and ski where everybody is scared of skiing."

Professionally, he was known for selling prescription drugs online, particularly to Americans who could not afford the same medicines at home.

"He would confront what I call the hypocrisy in the drug industry head on," said John Myers of the Canadian International Pharmacy Association.

Troszok leaves behind his parents, Anna Frank and Jan Troszok.

A memorial service will be held Saturday at 2 p.m. in the Creekside Hall in the Canmore Seniors Centre.

 

[KrazyCanadian]

pictures of the west side of Mackie,, 7200' summit, 5200' valley between Mackie and Pluto

Avi was a # 2 ,, 50 meters wide, shallow snowpack 35 to 74 cm crown, ran 100 meters down into the thick timber.. he died from trama, was un buried in approx 7 min ,, skiis were still showing when Mike arrived at his resting spot..190 cms in the area, but this bulge was wind blown and the sun shines on it all afternoon..

Canadian Avalanche Centre : avalanche.ca


http://avalanche.ca/Forums/forums/t/4332.aspx

 

[DRD]

When we think avalanche everyone thinks of the huge bowl or chute, not a relatively unsuspecting area like that. Unfortunate accident for sure.

 

[Mongrol]

Ya just never know when it might happen but you can count on it will happen when conditions are right.

The older I get, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize that I don't know.

RIP.

 

[kjb]

Rode the rose pass yesterday. Excellent riding. There is still lingering instabillities down 30~40cm. There were remanance of a natural cycle that was releasing on this layer last week. It was releasing on all aspects starting at an elevation of around 5000' and up. What was surprising was it was releasing naturaly on really low angles. As low as 25~30*. It was not as reactive yesterday but we could still get it to move in places. One thing i have noticed all over the place is the lack of avalance debris. It would seem that we have not had any big avy cycles yet. So there must be some pretty big loads up in some of the start zones. With a warming trend coming with some precip, there is the possibility of some big ones coming out. The pictures that cazy canadian posted of the avalanche outside of rossland shows that even a small slide can be fatal. You can just imagine the odds of surviving a big one. be careful out there.

 

[Mongrol]

KJB, did you ride the whole thing or just the East side? The willows/alders were pretty thick on the West side earlier.

 

[kjb]

KJB, did you ride the whole thing or just the East side? The willows/alders were pretty thick on the West side earlier.

We dropped down the west side quite a ways. Turned around at a major branch that headed off to the SE. I think its the road up in the drainage to the south of rose. That is the farthest i've been down that side. I think any lower the alders would start to become an issue. Hopefuly we will go through an avy cycle these next couple of days to clean things up a little. Happy riding.

 

[Mongrol]

KJB, you were right at the area where the alders get really bad. This year we're putting a group together to clean the alders on the whole trail or soon it won't be usable.

 

[ferniesnow]

...... One thing i have noticed all over the place is the lack of avalance debris. It would seem that we have not had any big avy cycles yet. So there must be some pretty big loads up in some of the start zones. With a warming trend coming with some precip, there is the possibility of some big ones coming out....

In the SE we have had some of our "big chutes" come down and I agree there wasn't huge amounts of debris in the runouts. I'm thinking the high alpine winds we had in Nov and early Dec blew that stuff away to AB. Also, on the lee side, the pillow snow or windblown snow was travelling so fast that it was deposited further down in the trees rather than under the cornices and up high as in a normal year. Maybe that is why we have our tree-line problems this year?? Just a quick thought....

 

[Mongrol]

That concerns me also with the weather we've had. Rain, sun, & cold put together a bad combo. Lots of caution is necessary to keep the testosterone in check.

 

[KrazyCanadian]

2000' - 12 inches
3000' - 25 inches
4000' - 48 inches
5000' - between 5' and 5'6"
6000' - between 6' and 6'4"
7000' - between 7' and 8'


Snowpack in the Norns range Jan 11/ 2010 probed all over yesterday, so foggy couldn't ride, just check out the conditions,,,

 

[KrazyCanadian]

2000' - 4 inches
3000' - 16 inches
4000' - 30 inches - 36 inches
5000' - 6' --- 185 cms
6000' - 7' --- 220 cms
7000' - 7' to 8'6" or 220 cm - 265 cms
WENT UP TODAY TO SEE HOW MUCH SNOW FELL THIS WEEK, WOW!!!!!!!!!! 70 CMS, OVER 2 FEET ON THE HARD PACKED TRAILS AND AROUND THE LADYBIRD CABIN. SNOWING AND BLOWING LIKE KRAZY, 5 FOOT SNOW DRIFTS ON THE AIRPORT AND THE RIDGE BETWEEN JOKERS AND THE AIRPORT.. FANTASTIC SNOW CONDITIONS, DEEP DENSE POWDER, Ladybird ridge had lots of natural avi activity...

The rain has kicked the crap out of the trail and lower elevation snowpack, but above 4500' or 1400 meters, it's all good....

 

[KrazyCanadian]

2000' - 6 inches
3000' - 20 inches
4000' - 38 inches
5000' - 4'.6"
6000' - 5'.6"
7000' - between 5'.6" and 6'.10"


Jan 16 2010, Rossland Range, great snow, but high avi danger, released a size 2 avi near collage creek yesterday. 60 cms deep, 10 m wide ran 80 to 100 meters...

 

[KrazyCanadian]

2000' - 8 inches
3000' - 24 inches
4000' - 34 inches
5000' - 5'.2"
6000' - 6'.4"
7000' - between 6' and 7'

another great dump last night, fresh powder everywhere, but avi danger is considerable in the Rossland Range, I set off a size 2.5 avi yesterday and another on Saturday near Collage creek 6200 feet elevation, north facing slope

Jan 18 / 2010 Rossland Range

Norns has around 2 feet more at each elevation above 4000'

 

[jaredszakacs]

kjb, you were right at the area where the alders get really bad. This year we're putting a group together to clean the alders on the whole trail or soon it won't be usable.

i would be in for helping on that i quad up there all the time and the alders are viscious let me know when it is happening