Montana recon

Weather

Steve 'Reidles' Reid · Apr 10, 2018 · Vancouver Island

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Quick report

Weather
stormy
Ride Type
alpineSlopes, mellowSlopes
Riding Quality
OK
Snow Conditions
crusty, heavy, hard, windAffected

Day checking out Brute E slopes and the N bowl of Montana proper was brought to a halt by challenging weather! Snow is good at/below treeline. Above very variable. Most alpine slopes scoured to bare ground on ridges and hard wind pressed in gullies. Surface is a pencil firm slab (20-30cm) which allows easy travel, but the rotten snow beneath will ambush you if you break through. Sled travel conditions very good, but thin snowpack rewards the cautious traveler. No avalanche obs, but suspect (from a distance) many paths and start zones are below threshold. Caution on the first section of road - 200-400m of ice on the way up, probably a meter deep in places (see photo).