Excellent Ski and Travel Conditions

Mountain Conditions Report

<p>Yesterday we finished a 5 day Yoho Traverse.We were lucky to catch this weather window, overall conditions were excellent. Part of the group started from Mistaya Lodge on Sunday March 11th, others started from Bow Lake. We stayed 2 nights at Bow Hut, one at Guy Hut and one at Stanley Mitchell. We exited via the Yoho Valley. March 11-14th the sky was clear, very little wind and temperatures stayed below freezing above 2100m on polar aspects. On steep south aspects a 5cm supportive melt freeze crust had formed. Steep west aspects had a breakable crust, however, above 2400m some lower angle west aspects did not get crusty. (i.e. moraine slopes below the Guy Hut). Windslabs from prior to March 11th had faceted and the skiing was excellent on east and north. March 14th pm the sky clouded over and as of yesterday at 2pm about 15cm of new wet snow had accumulated in the Yoho Valley. Temperatures were just below 0 degrees. Besides some solar induced sluffing we observed only one new avalanche. It was a cornice triggered slab, about 50-80cm deep on the north east side of the ridge you traverse to gain the Guy Hut. Coverage on the glaciers varied from 200-300cm.</p>