Mica Dam to Blue River

Map for Mountain Information Network report: Mica Dam to Blue River

Snow conditions

Riding quality was:
Good
Snow conditions were:
  • Crusty
  • Hard
  • Powder
  • Wet
  • Wind affected
We rode:
  • Alpine slopes
  • Convex slopes
  • Open trees
  • Steep slopes
  • Sunny slopes

Information

The day was:
  • Cloudy
  • Sunny
  • Warm
  • Wet
Avalanche conditions
  • Whumpfing or drum-like sounds or shooting cracks.
  • Rapid temperature rise to near or above 0°C or wet surface snow.

Comments

Went from Mica Dam to Blue River (out Bone Creek). Came in with steady rain on the 19th ending in the evening and turning to light snow showers. On the 20th, some whomping at treeline on steep south slopes from the isothermal snow collapsing under the strong melt freeze crust in the early morning hours. Ascended the first icefield at 52.061966, -118.844442. Size two to three avalanches were prevalent on all aspects (though the largest were on northerly aspects) largely in the 1900-2300m elevation band (evidence of small windslabs starting at higher elevations and stepping down as they reached this elevation band) failing on the significant melt-freeze crust 40-70 cm down. Camped at the point indicated for this report on the tongue of a glacier. Despite the very strong solar radiation on the 20th we did not observe or hear any new avalanches. The 21st was much the same as the 20th with no additional avalanche observations and a notably stronger overnight freeze. Exited via Bone Creek on the 22nd in the rain and did not hear any additional avalanches although we were on logging roads at low elevation by this time.