Up to ya neck in it

Map for Mountain Information Network report: Up to ya neck in it

Snow conditions

Riding quality was:
Good
Snow conditions were:
  • Deep powder
We rode:
  • Dense trees
  • Mellow slopes
  • Open trees
We stayed away from:
  • Alpine slopes

Information

The day was:
  • Stormy
Avalanche conditions
  • Slab avalanches today or yesterday.
  • 30cm + of new snow, or significant drifting, or rain in the last 48 hours.

Comments

We set out with a very risk averse plan to sled down the tracks and ski some treeline laps in manageable terrain. Skiing was frankly ridiculous - turns ranged from waist to shoulder deep. Finding anything steep enough to descend was a big challenge. Even sledding down the tracks yielded over head snow.

Stability was as expected for the 50+ cm of unconsolidated snow, with numerous natural sz 1s from most steep features below treeline, and we remote triggered some small activity on the climb. Managed terrain on descent and observed no further activity.

Around 2pm the weather changed from calm winds with snow falling at less than 1cm/hr to strong south winds, with significant wind transport even at valley bottom.

Snowpack as observed was generally bottomless low density. At around 1100m there was a change with a supportive layer (climbing), which was 40-50cm deep and 9cm thick, 1 finger resistance. Stratigraphy above and below the layer fist. Layer did not impact ski quality on descent. HS at BTL/TL transition 240-250cm.