Calm before the warm

Riding quality was:

Good

Snow conditions were:

• Heavy
• Powder
• Wind affected

We rode:

• Alpine slopes
• Mellow slopes
• Open trees

We stayed away from:

• Steep slopes

The day was:

• Cloudy

No signs of cracking or whumpfing on the way up. Generally good conditions but noticeable wind effect depending on aspect. SW facing slopes were pretty wind affected, while NE aspects showed more obvious wind loading.

Dug a quick pit near the top of the ski area, found about 30 cm of wind-loaded snow sitting on a really solid, consolidated base. Did a quick informal column test with no major red flags, but the wind slab was definitely present.

Skiing was a bit variable due to wind deposits, soft and light in sheltered areas, but more inconsistent where the wind had moved things around. As temps warmed into midday, the snow got a bit heavier.

No signs of natural avalanche activity or major movement throughout the day, though we did notice some minor sluffing/slab reactivity on steeper slopes.

Kept things conservative, stayed away from steep terrain and focused on lower angle slopes where the turns were good.