Some quick obs from the weekend:
2011-03-19
Location: Mount Seymour
A few ski cuts on steep rolls at parking lot elevation (1040m) produced shooting cracks early in the day. Fractures would propagate nicely in 15-20 cm of low density new snow but didn't release as slab avalanches. Observed a few shallow (Size 1) soft slab avalanches had released naturally on steep S facing slopes below cliff bands. Some were triggered by loose snow falling from the cliffs. Later in the day we skied an open S facing gulley feature between 1100 and 1300m. Snow was good at the top but got heavy at the bottom. Debris at the bottom of the steep side gulleys indicated that a natural cycle up to size 2 had run overnight.
2011-03-20
Location: Cypress
Disappointed to find a breakable crust had formed up overnight at lower elevations on Hollyburn. As we gained elevation the sun really started to have an effect on the South facing aspects. Tree bombs started dropping, pinwheeling observed, etc. Crust was not evident above 1200 m. Surface hoar had formed up overnight but got cooked on solar aspects. Pleasant skiing back down to the Nordic Area parking lot. Steep S facing slopes were starting to produce wet sloughs. Moved over to Black Mtn and had a nice run back down in N facing gulley. Lots of evidence of loose snow avalanches here, even in sheltered and shaded N aspects.
All in all a great weekend on the North Shore. The below picture shows some point release "gloopers" on W facing slope near Black Mtn.