Summary of ski conditions

The ACMG Training and Assessment Program just finished the second and final Apprentice Ski Guide Touring Courses.

We skied from Jan 28 - Feb 2 in the Whistler and Blackcomb backcountry areas as well as one day on Cayoosh, Taylor and Rohr mountains in the Duffey Lake area.

Terrain skied:
We started the week building confidence in the snowpack by skiing simple and challenging treeline features. Then moving into complex glaciated alpine terrain all aspects, 1200 - 2400m. Friday brought 50cm of new snow and we stepped back to supported treeline features.

Conditions:
Ski quality ranged from very good to very poor depending on elevation and aspect. Specific wind and solar aspects offered a variety of crusts, wind affected layers, both supportive and breakable. Quality snow was mostly preserved on sheltered N and W aspects at both tree-line and lower alpine elevations. Below treeline saw spring-like conditions with warm temperatures and with good recovery overnight. The Whistler Blackcomb backcountry was heavily travelled and tracked before most recent snowfall.

Snowpack:
30 - 50cm overlies variable snow surfaces (Sh/Mfcr/Fc) and showing little reactivity to skier traffic. Moderate to strong SW winds promoted windslab development in alpine and treeline terrain, resulting in a small natural cycle and limited reactivity to skier traffic.

Ross Berg, Matt Peter, Mike Adolph (MG)
+ course participants