Joffre Slide from David Safarik on Vimeo.

Last update – June 4, 2019

“Civilization exists by geologic consent, subject to change without notice”
– Will Durant.

Many of these shots are hi-res and in large size format – open them in a new tab to view the hi-res in larger size

BEFORE SHOTS

2006 summer shot

Joffre Couloirs labelled

Large pano of Joffre Peak’s N face – open in new tab to get the full picture

Aerial view of Mt Joffre – 2007 picture

Aerial picture of Mt Joffre and surroundings – May 18, 2019 – Gerry Kollmus picture

PRECURSOR SHOTS

May 8th- Joffre Peak from Duffey Lake – rockslide off the Twisting couloir buttress

May 10th- Joffre Peak from valley floor – rockslide off the Twisting couloir buttress

March 19, 2019 skinning up the moraine of the remnant Joffre North Glacier. The Central Couloir buttress in on picture right.

MAY 13TH ROCK AVALANCHE

Written up on the Landslide Blog with analysis by Drew Brayshaw of Statlu Environmental Consulting. Per Drew – “ the failure area was about 25,000 – 30,000 m², based on a failure geometry of a block approximately 200 m high and 150 m wide. The runout distance was about 4.2 km. “

This failure of the lookers right rock buttress of the NE face of Joffre resulted in the elimination of Twisting Couloir from the tick-list of steep ski lines.

Aerial view of first Joffre event – picture by MOT technicians

General area of failure of rock buttress in re first Joffre event – Dave Bergman graphic

First Joffre geologic event – picture Jamie May

General area of failure of rock buttress in re first Joffre event – Dave Bergman graphic

First Joffre geologic event – picture Jamie May

March 19, 2019 ski. The Twisting Couloir buttress is above my head on picture left.

After and before first Joffre event – adios Twisting Couloir

Closeup of after and before first Joffre event

2008 post-skiing Joffre NW lines

MAY 18TH ROCK AVALANCHE

Also written up on the Landslide Blog this definitely catapaults Joffre into the category of Known Producer. According to Dave Petley, this seems larger than the previous slide and involved the rock buttress in the centre of Joffre failing thus wiping out the top two thirds of the Central Couloir.

Shot from the side of Joffre Peak. Steep as it looks. That’s the face that Matt Bodkin and Andre Ike skied direct from the Peak to Twisting in the late 90s I believe? I followed their tracks down and skied Twisting. Our tracks were probably right along the line of the fracture where the hanging glacier fell to its death along with the rest of the snow and ice on Joffre.

Hanging Glacier remnants

Central Couloir before

Central Couloir after

Blue polygon is what fell in the Second Joffre event. Red polygon is what fell in the First Joffre event, Steve Jones graphic

Remnants of Joffre’s NE face. Joffre Couloir still remains; for now

2008 – skiing below Joffre Couloir – Chris Kelly picture

DISCUSSION OF POSSIBLE SUBSEQENT FAILURES

Comment from Drew Brayshaw in Gripped Magazine citing a National Post interview – ““As soon as I saw the scar of that second landslide, which was right next to the first, it is obvious that the failure plane is continuing through the mountain, it is almost vertical,” ….“That strongly suggests that the next buttress over on the face of the mountain … I would say is more likely than not, going to fall off. The question is just when.”

Annotated by Drew Brayshaw. Picture by Gerry Kollmus May 18, 2019 – Red circle indicates the brand new crack. Notice its trend? Green line is existing features on the next buttress over which directly line up with the trend of that new crack and the failure plane.

A FOURTH JOFFRE LAKE AKA SNAPCHAT LAKE ^{(tm Michael Coyle)}

Rock, mud, ice and snow torrent from the first event gouged out Cerise Creek taking out both winter and summer trails and creating a new lake. Screenshot from Safarik video

Rock, mud, ice and snow torrent from the second event was even less gentle to Cerise Creek entraining debris in further in the newly-created lake and not being as gentle in negotiating the turn at the Check’s in the Mail slidepath. Picture by Jamie May

First slide nearly reached the forest service road accessing the winter and summer Cerise Creek trails. Screenshot from Safarik video

Wilfried Braun picture showing the second slide aftermath. The runout of the second slide takes a wider turn at the Check’s In the Mail slidepath. It also overruns the junctions of the Cerise FSR and the FSR heading W to Pascall.

2019 – Joffre first slide showing runout with Pascall trim line showing where the rock avalanche ran upslope then downstream through Cerise Creek

Sharon birthday ski showing Pascall trimline and Cerise Creek downslope

Picture from Sarah Bulford on May 18th, 2019in the course of putting up trail and area closed signs indicating washout of former bridge crossing Cerise Creek. Note the broken cable and silt in the water.