Campbell Icefield Chalet self guided self catered Off-Trail skiing on

Participants: Kim, David, Clifton, Doug, Ed, Gordon, Jenny, Richard, Chris, Peter, Doug, Fred, Gail, Ian

By the time we got in on Saturday and all set up it was 2:30

6 went out to ski a lap at Saturday trees and had a good time

Snow was excellent HS 250 cm.

We arrive a little late clouds in the valley
We arrive a little late clouds in the valley

Sunday. Every day after breakfast it is safety meeting time. My thanks to Fred for running an exceptionally good avi safety meeting. Inputs include North Columbia and banff avi forecasts. Our observatons on weather and local avi observations, including info from pits dug , hand shears , and everything all of us saw yesterday and this morning . A very comprehensive meeting with similarities and differences from the remote avi forecasts.Over the week we had incredible changes due to high snowfall and high temperatures that had our assessment of the alpine avi risk go from considerable to high to moderate .My thanks to the highly competent crew that kept us safe and sound.

skiing the Low Col on breakable crust
skiing the Low Col on breakable crust

Sunday skiing was phenomenal . 45 cms of blower on a slightly firmer layer made us ski like 16 heros on the snow .

Clifton and Kim on Paradise skiing breakable crust
Clifton and Kim on Paradise skiing breakable crust

Monday 25 cm of warm sticky awful snow. It was awful skiing . Thigh deep warm snow would pile up on your thighs. Slingshot was the word of the day.

Get in someone else tracks and slingshot past them till you came to a stop. Ski like a jellyfish go with the flow and don't stop or turn.

Tuesday hi avi risk in alpine. Conservative terrain was our choice.. Warm temps . Hst 45 cm ( height of storm slab) Not only did 4 feet of snow slide off the roof the previous evening. But we got a roofalanche in the morning.

Doug sims was knocked off his skis . The only time I saw him fall all week . The powder cloud air blast was so powerful. It turned Doug M into a snowman with 4 inches of snow on his back and shoulders..

The snow had consolidated. Hst was 45 cm. Hs dropped from 280 to 250 .Conservative terrain was the order of the day . Still crappy and slow but better than Monday.

Rain and warm temps. 1cm rain crust ontop . It Looks beautiful. All the new snow. However she aint pretty she just looks that way . Awful skiing on breakable crust . Only the best could actually ski this crud.and yet we had skiers who could ski the crud but not me.

Jo holding the crust which aint pretty
Jo holding the crust which aint pretty

We had a slide off Diamond ridge in the evening . Warm temps dropped the avi rating from High to moderate in the alpine an exceptional change.

Low col from the dome . How many skiers can you see?
Low col from the dome . How many skiers can you see?

Campbell lodge below thunder mtn note the glide plain of the landside
Campbell lodge below thunder mtn note the glide plain of the landside

Dinner time in Campbell lodge
Dinner time in Campbell lodge

Peter on the Dome . Note the slide . Guess what happens when the HST (height of storm snow ) exceeds 45 cm ? Guess why we dont ski diamond ridge?
Peter on the Dome . Note the slide . Guess what happens when the HST (height of storm snow ) exceeds 45 cm ? Guess why we dont ski diamond ridge?

The people were wonderful. The lessons learned were awesome. My thanks to all the great participants on this trip . They all did a wonderful job on helping an old man. That would be me having a great safe enjoyable time

for more photos

https://photos.app.goo.gl/m3Q6gAseeakYWP6r9

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