A lil’ blowa on Zoa

Riding quality was:

Good

Snow conditions were:

• Hard
• Powder
• Wind affected

We rode:

• Convex slopes
• Dense trees
• Mellow slopes

The day was:

• Cloudy
• Cold
• Windy

Windy, chilly day on Zoa Peak. Surprisingly good riding conditions with 5cm of fresh snow after 3 dry weeks.

Moderate northerly winds have blown the new snow, making small windslab pockets, which are stubborn to fracture.

Snowpack tests just below the ridge top on the northern aspect at tree line exhibited a reactive sneaky layer of surface hoar (4-8mm) 30cm down (ECTP12 @30cm).

This suggests that although avalanche danger is low, in certain areas you may still be able to trigger small slab avalanches. Our hypothesis is that it would be most likely in a steep, north-facing feature where the snowpack is somewhat disconnected from surrounding terrain.