Drumroll at Snowspider

Riding quality was:

Good

Snow conditions were:

• Crusty
• Hard
• Powder
• Wind affected

We rode:

• Alpine slopes
• Cut blocks
• Dense trees
• Mellow slopes
• Open trees

We stayed away from:

• Convex slopes
• Steep slopes
• Sunny slopes

The day was:

• Cold
• Sunny

Avalanche conditions

• Slab avalanches today or yesterday.
• 30cm + of new snow, or significant drifting, or rain in the last 48 hours.
• Whumpfing or drum-like sounds or shooting cracks.

Observed a few avalanches on our way into Snowspider Hut, via the vantage col:

- Old size 2 wind slab along the skin track towards vantage col on an east aspect at roughly 1750m.

- Size 4 as described in the pictures

- Size 1 skier triggered as described in the avalanche section.

Drum like sounds and shooting cracks in the alpine in wind slab pockets.

Powder in sheltered and trees areas.

Surface hoar growing happily in wind shelters areas throughout, about 1.5 cm.

Generally very variable surface conditions in the alpine, mixing from supportive wind crust to cracking and unsupportive wind crust to powder and sun crust.

The weak layer below the wind slab is present in widespread areas and does not show signs of healing despite solar being presented during the three days of our trip.