Baribeau

Quick report

npin · Mar 15, 2025 · St. Mary

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Quick report

Weather
cloudy
Ride Type
mellowSlopes, openTrees
Stayed Away
alpineSlopes, steepSlopes
Riding Quality
amazing
Snow Conditions
powder
Avalanche Conditions
avalancheConditionSlab, avalancheConditionSnow

Sorry no pics. Very wintery once you get above 1700m. 30-40 cm new snow from the last few days. Great skiing, very low density new snow, minimal slab properties observed, except on steep slopes at tree line. Did not observe Alpine. Saw a couple of recent natural avalanches and heard one audible. Would expect a more extensive natural cycle with a bit more load.

Weather

Blowing Snow
none
Sky Condition
overcast
Snowfall Rate
1
New Snow24 Hours
10
Storm Snow Amount
40
Precipitation Type
snow

Very light winds, variable direction, did not observe alpine. Temps were warm, estimate near zero in the afternoon.

Snowpack

Obs Type
point
Site Aspect
NW
Test Fracture
resistant
Site Elevation
1750
Ski Penetration
30
Test Initiation
moderate
Foot Penetration
60
Site Elevation Band
btl
Surface Conditions
newSnow
Test Failure Layer Crystal Types
crust

CTM 12 resistant planar, down 30 cm at storm snow interface. CTM 19 resistant planar, down 60 cm, failed above a thin crust. Top 30 cm is very low density, below this the snow is consolidating into a slab.

Avalanche

Run Length
80
Slab Width
80
Trigger Type
natural
Avalanche Size
2
Slab Thickness
30
Start Zone Aspect
NE
Vegetation Cover
openSlope
Start Zone Incline
40
Avalanche Character
stormSlab
Number Of Avalanches
2-5
Start Zone Elevation
2270
Avalanche Observation
24to48hrsAgo
Weak Layer Crystal Type
stormSnow
Start Zone Elevation Band
tln
Avalanche Occurrence Datetime
2025-03-15T18:00:00.000Z

Two size 1-2 storm slab, estimate 24-48 hours old. ~10 cm of new snow has fallen since then. Wide propagation, ran about 80 m onto a bench and stopped. Very soft slab. Quick investigation at crown, CTM 11 RP down ~40 cm, failed on old storm snow (1 mm DF). While transitioning, audible avalanche that lasted several seconds. Not sure where it occurred.