Settlement City

Map for Mountain Information Network report: Settlement City

Snow conditions

Riding quality was:
OK
Snow conditions were:
  • Powder
We rode:
  • Dense trees
  • Mellow slopes
We stayed away from:
  • Alpine slopes
  • Open trees
  • Steep slopes

Information

The day was:
  • Cold
  • Sunny
Avalanche conditions
  • Whumpfing or drum-like sounds or shooting cracks.

Comments

Settlement City! Unskied slopes had numerous large settlements, often with an appreciable drop. Pit results where surprisingly positive, with no propogation in ECTs, and hard results on the Nov SH/facets layer. The SH seems to have become facety on both layers. However the settlements had us turning around, we think it was the snowpack settling on the layer of facets at the bottom of the snowpack. The Dec 5th layer was reactive to moderate taps at ~2000 m elevation while at ~1750 m the Dec 5th layer was reactive to soft taps and failed Rutschblock 1 with the Nov facets/SH failing RB4. There is roughly 40 cm sitting on the Dec 5th layer. The snowpack was thin, 115 cm at 2000 m and < 1 m at 1750 m. This area needs more snow, I would avoid it for the time being! The day was very cold but temps were tolerable in the sun.