Over the hood and into the woods

Riding quality was:

Amazing

Snow conditions were:

• Deep powder

We rode:

• Cut blocks
• Mellow slopes
• Open trees

We stayed away from:

• Alpine slopes

The day was:

• Cloudy
• Windy

Avalanche conditions

• 30cm + of new snow, or significant drifting, or rain in the last 48 hours.

Tommy 1 was deeeeep. We found 50 cm of low-density powder sitting on a right-side-up snowpack. At sheltered treeline, total snow depth measured around 200 cm. The December 16th crust was buried about 100 cm down and wasn’t a concern today, though we’ll keep it in mind as temperatures rise this weekend.

On the drive out, we observed an avalanche likely 12–24 hours old. We couldn’t see the start zone, but it had run through a narrow gully and left debris below treeline.

With the Alpine rated Considerable, moderate winds transporting snow off the peaks, and flat light, we choose to avoid slopes with overhead hazard. We found great riding on fun features in open trees and meadows.