Plan B (Blower)

Submitted by
northrockiesfieldteam
Observations date
Friday, December 10, 2021 at 20:00
Location
55.350171° N 122.641787° W
Reporting on
  • Snow conditions
Map for Mountain Information Network report: Plan B (Blower)

Snow conditions

Riding quality was:
Amazing
Snow conditions were:
  • Deep powder
  • Wind affected
We rode:
  • Dense trees
  • Steep slopes
We stayed away from:
  • Alpine slopes
  • Open trees

Information

The day was:
  • Stormy
  • Windy
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.

Comments

It’s always good to have a plan B in your back pocket. Today’s stormy conditions changed our original plan above to ski Azuetta Lake. Heavy snowfall, blowing winds and poor visibility increased avalanche hazard to a point we didn’t feel comfortable in such committing terrain so we toured up to the Azu Bowl, near Powder King, instead. We started on small test slopes where we found cracks shooting from our skis and even triggered some small slides. These simple tests give clear evidence of instability when they can be done safely. With all this feedback, we stuck to tree skiing where the snow was just amazing!
Ski conditions were great with deep snow in the trees!
We triggered some small test slopes early in our day that made us wary of venturing into larger terrain.
Whiteout conditions at ridge top were another reason to stick to the trees.
We also triggered a cornice that produced a small avalanche. Cornices are especially sensitive when they are soft and building in a storm!