Big Things in Bijoux

Quick report

northrockiesfieldteam · Feb 23, 2020 · Chic-Choc Mountains

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Quick report

Weather
sunny
Ride Type
alpineSlopes, openTrees
Stayed Away
convexSlopes
Riding Quality
OK
Snow Conditions
hard, windAffected
Avalanche Conditions
avalancheConditionSlab

We saw some two big avalanches today at Bijoux. These large slides (size2.5) appear to have failed on the Feb 8th surface hoar where it has been loaded by wind. The first avalanche appeared snowmobile triggered in a shallow roll but failed as deep as 120cm as it went across. At its steepest point it also stepped down to an older layer in the snowpack reaching 180cm deep. The second avalanche ran almost 450m. It appeared to be triggered by a cornice collapse and had set off additional crowns as it traveled down the track. Be very aware of this reactive layer especially where it is being loaded by winds.