Fryatt Hut

We spent three days (Feb. 19-21) touring in the Fryatt valley, using the ACC's Spencer Vallance Hut as a base. The Athabasca River was melting but we were able to find a path to cross, avoiding the extra kilometres along the summer route. It snowed ~20cm of fresh powder in the immediate leadup and beginning of the long weekend, which was bonding well to the previously wind-affected, rocky surfaces. Conditions were wet on the ascent Saturday but cooled down by the time we reached ~1,900m, and temperatures dropped Sunday/Monday, making for fantastic powder. We heard one avalanche trigger on the skin in and saw the aftermath of several recent slides (x3-4, wet sluff, size 1 to 2), mostly in the small gulleys/scree slopes bordering the valley. We mostly skied the ridge/gulley immediately east of the hut and steered clear of heading further into the valley toward the col between Kleodora and Karpathos/Olympus. HS was quite variable depending on the aspect. Overall a fantastic trip.

We dug a pit on a 20 degree, SW aspect. HS was highly variable, but 125cm at our column. 15 cm of fresh snow. Sudden planar release at 30cm with 26 taps (CTMH26, i.e. six shoulder taps) atop a ~3cm band of 2mm facet crystals. No further failures. Snow was well bonded below. Snow temperature was -10C; air temperature was -20C.