Hasler aka Pow Town

Riding quality was:

Good

Snow conditions were:

• Deep powder
• Hard
• Powder
• Wind affected

We rode:

• Alpine slopes
• Dense trees
• Mellow slopes
• Open trees
• Steep slopes

We stayed away from:

• Convex slopes
• Cut blocks

The day was:

• Cold
• Stormy
• Windy

Avalanche conditions

• 30cm + of new snow, or significant drifting, or rain in the last 48 hours.
• Whumpfing or drum-like sounds or shooting cracks.

Hasler was pretty decent, but cold (-20° C). Mod winds and heavy snow from the North. Deep drifted pow in the trees and wind sheltered areas, but extensive wind scouring on any exploded slopes. There has been a recent major wind from the SW, extensive Cornice Development and drifting on N and NW slopes. This new storm snow is also drifting on S slopes, so you’re caught coming and going. The new snow is drifting and can be very hard/slabby in certain areas. Our pit had several layers appear in the storm slabs, but nothing that posed an issue. The only big issue we did find was facets at the melt crust from late Jan, which was 70 cm down. It reacted in the medium hard range about CTM20 with a Planar fracture x2, and most interesting, failed on one tap (the 22nd) on our extended column test, shooting right across the block and sliding down.

This tells me that slides are not likely in this new storm snow, but if one did happen or if a big cornice broke free, the possibility of a big deep slide exists.

Good snow, but it’d be a lot nicer once it warms up a little later in the week. Just watch for that dragon sleeping 70 cm down!