Chikadee Observations

Riding quality was:

OK

Snow conditions were:

• Powder
• Wind affected

We rode:

• Mellow slopes

We stayed away from:

• Steep slopes

The day was:

• Warm
• Windy

Avalanche conditions

• Slab avalanches today or yesterday.
• Whumpfing or drum-like sounds or shooting cracks.

2 recent avalanches observed in the valley. First was a size 2 on the south aspect of boom mountain. It appeared to have started the alpine underneath extreme terrain and traveled 100+ meters down the established slide path and came to rest in relatively steep terrain.

The second was on a NE aspect of Whymper at treeline near the entrance to the first hanging valley from the highway (~2000m), no picture. Ran ~75 meters and came to stop in low angle terrain.

Temperature in the morning was -13 and rose to close to zero by the afternoon. Lots of wind observed up high in the alpine and we witnessed a significant shedding of snow off the north face of Whymper.

The upper snow pack consolidated over the course of the day and was noticeably more dense in the afternoon. Once at tree line the wind effect was noticeable and hard wind slabs were prevalent. We walked across a few in mellow terrain and there was no reaction to our body weight.