Home > Trip Reports > Jan 16 - 18, 2009, - more Rogers Pass

Jan 16 - 18, 2009, - more Rogers Pass

1/16/09
Canada BC
3850
9
Posted by LeeLau on 1/19/09 5:22am
Day 1 - http://www.leelau.net/2009/rogerspassmidjanuary/rogers2009_01_16/

Due to no new snow again in the Coast - off again to the Pass.  Keep going to Bruins and 8812; this time because nothing in the permit areas are open and that has decent fall-line skiing with ridgeline approaches.

Two pits to assess pack again - once at the low approach to Bruins Ridge and another at near the top of 8812 Bowl.  At the top of 8812, we deliberately picked an area close to a rocky outcrop that was hopefully a weak spot in the pack.

Pit 1 - 2025m, 10:50am, 32deg, E-SE, clear skies, no wind, low valley cloud. Ski pen 15cm, boot pen 50cms

-1 deg temp

HS 255cms

25cm Fist
25cms 4F
30cm 1F
45cm P

Pit 2 - 205m; 12:45pm, 40 deg, S facing, 0.3 deg temp

HS 240cms

5cms MF
50cms 1F
60-70 W/S 4F
120 4F
120 - 150 1mm facets

CTH 28 RP

2nd column cut above a rock with HS 110
CTM 15 on 110mm facets.  Funny the block split into three @ 15 on WS and 25 and 110 on the facets as the block calved off






Stability results being good, we skied down 8812 and then down off Connaught Creek and out.  Slopes were getting sun - affected as the day wore on and snow quality suffered on sunny aspects






http://www.leelau.net/2009/rogerspassmidjanuary/rogers2009_01_17

Skied today in the Asulkan/Great Glacier side looking for less sun-affected slopes.  Had a nice tour to Perley Rock.

Ran into a group ahead of us that found shallow snowpack (HS 80cms) on NE facing slopes off a ridge.  They had hard results on a compression test.  We did an ECT test on a WSW facing pit on that same ridge.  Depth there was about 200cms and we had no results.  Contrary to the PC forecast that said HIGH we would have rated treeline Moderate and Alpine Considerable.

So we skied and had good snow. 










Be still my beating heart!!!!
Thanks for a super report and motivation.
Pit information very interesting.
If it doesn't improve here shortly im doing the drive again.
Thanks Lee!

In the second to last photo, is that the "mousetrap" below the skier that the guide book refers to?

author=Scotsman link=topic=11968.msg49991#msg49991 date=1232403927]
In the second to last photo, is that the "mousetrap" below the skier that the guide book refers to?


hi scotsman,

No the mousetrap is in the Asulkan valley which we went to on Sunday (haven't got the pictures up yet).  It's a terrain trap towards the end of the valley about 4kms up valley from trailhead

For more information on mousetrap: http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/glacier/visit/Asulkan.pdf

( Also try. http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/bc/glacier/visit/visit7a10d.pdf )

http://www.pc.gc.ca/pn-np/ab/banff/visit/visit7a9_e.asp ( All avalanche terrain maps. )

Nice Lee, as always.  When you get a chance, you want to mail some of that powder down this way?  ???

I was up in your neck of the woods. Nice to see what I didn't get to see. Ha. the avi danger was sketch, sketch and the clouds didn't split for a second. Oh well. Still good to see more of the area. Perhaps I'll have to go up again one of these days.

author=Jason_H. link=topic=11968.msg50061#msg50061 date=1232481927]
I was up in your neck of the woods. Nice to see what I didn't get to see. Ha. the avi danger was sketch, sketch and the clouds didn't split for a second. Oh well. Still good to see more of the area. Perhaps I'll have to go up again one of these days.


Thats too bad Jason - where did you go?

Asulkan - http://www.leelau.net/2009/rogerspassmidjanuary/rogers2009_01_18/

This time to switch it up we made the tedious slog into the Asulkan drainage and instead of heading up the Mousetrap contoured the bench SW towards the Mushroom People and the Triangle Moraine below the glacier at the Ramparts to find skiable slopes. This turned out to be a good call as the N and NE facing slopes had held good quality skiable snow and not many people had been there. We stopped short of the glacier not having glacier travel gear and also wanting to get a short day in.

Views were spectacular as always. Temps were crazy due to the inversion with minus 9 in the valley bottom and plus 6 in the alpine. There wasn't much traffic over in the Asulkan side and we only saw one other party that day. So much for "busy" weekends in Rogers Pass - it doesn't take much to get away from hordes







great pics! got to get myself there.

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jan-16-18-2009-more-rogers-pass
LeeLau
2009-01-19 13:22:10