🎶We've been thinkin' bout, Catamount, ever since the sun came out 🎶

AVCAN FORECASTER , Friday 19th April, 2024 3:40PM

Yeehaw! 🤠 Another great day in the western Purcells! Having scoped it out on Wednesday, and seeing a clear day in the forecast, we got an early start and went back to Forster Creek hoping to ski Catamount Glacier. We had practiced our crevasse rescue skills earlier in the week, and brought all the necessary gear. We spaced out on the glacier, and probed regularly to confirm that we were on a deep and supportive snowpack. We avoided the obvious sags, and made it safely up to 2700 m. We were rewarded with more great views and a great ski back down the steep, smooth glacier. The storm snow from earlier in the week has settled to about 15 cm, and it was sitting on a firm crust even as high as 2700 m. Despite the sun, some light east wind was keeping the snow cool and dry. We saw no signs of wind slab, or loose, solar triggered avalanches. The wooped out sled approach and the long trek up to the glacier tuckered us out, but the effort was worth it.