Tandem Turns

Soumis par
northrockiesfieldteam
Date d'observation
vendredi 19 décembre 2025
Localisation
52.521810° N 118.948010° W
Rapport concernant
  • Conditions de neige
Carte pour le rapport du Réseau d'information en montagne: Tandem Turns

Conditions de neige

La qualité du hors-piste était:
Excellente
Les conditions de neige étaient :
  • Poudreuse
  • Affectée par le vent
Nous avons parcouru:
  • Blocs de coupe forestière
  • Pentes de faible inclinaison
  • Forêt dégagée
Nous sommes restés à l'écart de:
  • Pentes alpines
  • Pentes convexes
  • Pentes raides

Information

La journée était:
  • Brumeuse
  • De tempête

Commentaires

Riding into Clemina, we had several key questions in mind:

* How well was the recent storm snow bonding to the December 16 crust?

* Was surface hoar still present in the snowpack?

* How deep was the new powder?

Up to 30 cm of recent storm snow appeared to be bonding well to the December 16th crust. This crust formed during the recent warm spell and extends to at least 2100 m.

We dug multiple snow profiles to search for the persistent weak layers discussed in the forecast like surface hoar and crust/facet combos. In Clemina, the surface hoar layer is spotty in a "here, not there" kind of way in our profiles. We mostly found it on northerly facing slopes where it appeared to be decomposing. The November crusts, however, were easy to identify everywhere we went, but we got a result on that layer in just one of five of our profiles.

We found the best riding in sheltered, Treeline features where 30cm of fresh powder was not touched by the wind. Higher up and in more exposed terrain, snow quality declined and avalanche potential increased.

There was great tandem powder turns found in sheltered treeline features away from the effects of recent winds.
There was great tandem powder turns found in sheltered treeline features away from the effects of recent winds.
We dug lots of profiles today to try and verify the conditions. The current persistent problem can be spotty and vary across elevations and aspects.
We dug lots of profiles today to try and verify the conditions. The current persistent problem can be spotty and vary across elevations and aspects.
We stopped often to check in about what we were seeing and where we wanted to go based on the avalanche hazard.
We stopped often to check in about what we were seeing and where we wanted to go based on the avalanche hazard.
We gave overhead hazards plenty of space. Especially those that had their heads in the clouds, so we couldn't see what was going on in the start zones.
We gave overhead hazards plenty of space. Especially those that had their heads in the clouds, so we couldn't see what was going on in the start zones.