No snow means summer rockfall?

[Peter_Puget]

At least that's what I am thinking.

[lazzara]

Maybe . . . on the other hand I think there might actually be a fair bit of snow up high.

 

We have gotten some pretty significant precip events this winter with a freezing/snow level hovering around 6k (though sometimes going much higher than that).

 

Just because we've got jack shit for snow at low elevations doesn't necessarily mean there's no snow anywhere in the mountains . . .

 

Skiing around up on the Coleman Gl. it doesn't seems any less filled in this year than last. And climbing the TC's the other day the gullies were surprisingly filled in compared with photos I've seen from years that registered much lower on the 'oh shit there is no snow' meter.

 

Thoughts from the community at large?

[ivan]

meh. rock fall seems most dangerous off shit too steep to hold much snow anyhow.

[Jason4]

I'd be surprised if snow had as much to do with rockfall and dislodging loose rock as water and melt/freeze cycles. Of course, a healthy snow pack leads to running water on the rocks.

Edited to say that we have been lacking on the freeze half of melt/freeze around here. I also shouldn't be taken as any sort of an expert in geology or hydrology.

Edited February 25, 2015 by Jason4

[Peter_Puget]

I am thinking mostly of Index (or even Squamish) and the surrounding areas. Dry years seem to have more rockfall in the middle of summer.

[Jason4]

I've been up climbing in Squamish a few days already this year but only in the Bluffs. The cracks seem to have a good amount of dirt and algae in them. No real connection to the topic of snow other than it's already time to go climbing.

[G-spotter]

I am thinking mostly of Index (or even Squamish) and the surrounding areas. Dry years seem to have more rockfall in the middle of summer.

 

This is almost exactly wrong. Rockfall occurs when it's very wet, or during freeze-thaw conditions. There have already been several significant rockfalls in the area this winter (Nov-Jan) and each one occurred during heavy rain following a cold snap.

[Peter_Puget]

Spotter - I didn't mean compare summer rock fall to winter rockfall. I was suggesting that summers following winter droughts seem to have more rockfall than summers following periods of average to heavy precipitation. As I mentioned I was specifically thinking of Index where blocks predominate.

[G-spotter]

I was suggesting that summers following winter droughts seem to have more rockfall than summers following periods of average to heavy precipitation.

 

Your suggestion was wrong.