Wind Worked Up High, Sheltered Is Better

Submitted by
ghelgeson
Observations date
Saturday, January 24, 2026 at 23:00
Location
51.347460° N 117.196470° W
Reporting on
  • Snow conditions
Map for Mountain Information Network report: Wind Worked Up High, Sheltered Is Better

Information

The day was:
  • Windy

Comments

We took a quick tour of Gorman Saturday morning and found widespread wind damage in the alpine. The upside is that above roughly 2100 m, strong winds have blown away the surface hoar in this part of the Dogtooths. The downside is that riding quality has taken a hit. Soft alpine snow still exists, but it took some searching.

Below 2100 m, especially in wind-protected terrain, surface hoar remains loud and proud on the crust.

The sun burned off the valley cloud today, making for excellent visibility. Travel conditions remain good, with the best riding found in sheltered, treed areas.

We observed two Size 2 Wind Slab avalanches on an east-facing slope that appear to have released within the last 24–72 hours. A good reminder that low avalanche danger does not mean, no avalanche danger.

Enjoy the sunshine out there and travel thoughtfully this weekend.

This was the first time I've ever had viz at Gorman, what a treat!
This was the first time I've ever had viz at Gorman, what a treat!
The wind was howling today.
The wind was howling today.
It made a bit of a mess of the alpine, but, it did blow away a lot of surface hoar up high too.
It made a bit of a mess of the alpine, but, it did blow away a lot of surface hoar up high too.
A pair of wind slab avalanches on an east facing alpine slope, they look like they were from the last few days.
A pair of wind slab avalanches on an east facing alpine slope, they look like they were from the last few days.
This is the problem that awaits us in the future. Surface hoar sitting on a crust. This photo is from a protected area at 2100 m.
This is the problem that awaits us in the future. Surface hoar sitting on a crust. This photo is from a protected area at 2100 m.