Ground Truthing in Crowsnest

Map for Mountain Information Network report: Ground Truthing in Crowsnest

Snow conditions

Riding quality was:
Amazing
Snow conditions were:
  • Deep powder
We rode:
  • Cut blocks
We stayed away from:
  • Alpine slopes

Information

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

Comments

You know the avalanche danger is high when you get to watch natural avalanches happening😮‼️ A north west wind was cranking in the Crowsnest today, redistributing all the recent storm snow into very touchy wind slabs. We were observing the alpine from some non avalanche terrain and saw a few small (size 1) slab avalanches cascade off the headwalls into the fans below. A half hour later we witnessed a large (size 2) avalanche with an exciting powder cloud. Even though we are not getting new snow right now, the conditions are still very dynamic with so much snow available for transport and persistent weak layers in play. 


Check out the info in the Special Public Avalanche Warning (SPAW) at avalanche.ca