Opabin Plateau & Elizabeth Parker

Map for Mountain Information Network report: Opabin Plateau & Elizabeth Parker

Snow conditions

We rode:
  • Dense trees
We stayed away from:
  • Alpine slopes
  • Convex slopes
  • Steep slopes

Information

The day was:
  • Sunny
Avalanche conditions
  • Slab avalanches today or yesterday.

Comments

Spent two night at Elizabeth Parker over Christmas. We went with expectations only for a walk about, and that's what we stuck to. Smaller microterrain features had recent natural movement with the newly bonded storm slab cracking off on steeper pitches. These slabs were sliding on the thin crust layer. Trail breaking was a bit heinous, with the occasional punch through the thin, not very supportive crust and then wallowing in facets. We did feel some settlements throughout our walk. Heard numerous large settlements and rumbles towards the end of our day in the distance. A few spots within the valley we noticed recent avalanche activity, weather it was wind slab or the fresh storm snow. We decided to go back the way we came (skin track in the forest) rather than exit out terrain that was more exposed with overhead hazard and a very untrustworthy snowpack. Not a lot of snow in this valley right now. On the walk in valley bottom looked to have 30-50cm. On the plateau there was HS of around 100-110 cm.