The main line of Canadian Pacific Rail, just west of Field, BC, is subjected to periodic wash outs. The wash outs are caused by sub-glacial build up of melt water and subsequent debouching downslope to the tracks.
Cathedral Mountain is a 10,000 foot peak topped by several small carapice type glaciers. Engineers suspected the sub-glacial periodic draining of meltwater from the 9, 500 foot level on the mountain was the cause of CP Rail's problem.
A MARL Technologies-designed heliportable drill was dispatched to the mountain glacier. The object of the drilling was to determine the ice thickness, the dpeth of water under the ice and the nature of the bus glacial soil conditions.
The problems of mobilizing equipment and then having it operate at the 9000 foot elevation combined with the potential for exceedingly hazardous weather conditions provided a logistical challenge, but the MARL drill performed well. The project was completed within the allotted eight days and on budget.