Reactive surface hoar on north aspects; safer skiing on south aspects.

Riding quality was:

Good

Snow conditions were:

• Deep powder
• Heavy

We rode:

• Mellow slopes
• Open trees
• Sunny slopes

We stayed away from:

• Convex slopes
• Steep slopes

The day was:

• Sunny
• Warm

Avalanche conditions

• Slab avalanches today or yesterday.
• 30cm + of new snow, or significant drifting, or rain in the last 48 hours.
• Whumpfing or drum-like sounds or shooting cracks.
• Rapid temperature rise to near or above 0°C or wet surface snow.

Numerous dry loose natural avalanches (up to size 2) seen in Manning today (first photo).

Numerous storm slab natural avalanches (also up to size 2). North aspects showed signs of cracking (second photo), and at this location gave a propagation likely snowpack test result (ECTPM 11 (SC), on a 34 degree slope, failing down 46cm on well preserved Jan 17th surface hoar (last photo).

We chose to ski south aspects where the surface hoar had spotty distribution, was small & difficult to find. On the south side, the new snow was bonding well to a 4cm thick temperature crust, down 39cm.

We could feel the intensity of the sun today... the snow was getting heavy on south aspects after 1pm.