Six Mile Lakes to Crusader Cabin Field Day

Map for Mountain Information Network report: Six Mile Lakes to Crusader Cabin Field Day

Snow conditions

Riding quality was:
Good
Snow conditions were:
  • Crusty
  • Powder
We rode:
  • Mellow slopes
We stayed away from:
  • Alpine slopes
  • Convex slopes
  • Cut blocks
  • Open trees
  • Steep slopes
  • Sunny slopes

Information

The day was:
  • Sunny
  • Warm
Avalanche conditions
  • Slab avalanches today or yesterday.
  • Rapid temperature rise to near or above 0°C or wet surface snow.

Comments

Saw numerous natural size 1 and 2 avalanches in virtually all avalanche paths, along open slopes adjacent to road, and along ridge lines. Large propagations with large crowns observed with ridge lines and in open avalanche paths. We dug at pit at 1500 meters on a south west facing slope and had a full sudden collapse of an extended column test with one compression hit. It failed 150 cm down on a buried surface hoar and facet layer. We tried to replicate this at 1800 meters on a similar slope and did not have the same results; no surface hoar and facet layer present.