North churchill slide

Quick report

Weather

sunny

Ride Type

openTrees, steepSlopes

Stayed Away

alpineSlopes

Riding Quality

amazing

Snow Conditions

deepPowder

Avalanche Conditions

avalancheConditionSound, avalancheConditionTemp

toured up starting @9, was around -10, rising to -2 by the time we got down around 3. Original plan for the day was skiing the couloir in the center of the first pic, but bailed once at treeline. Dug a pit around 2000m, snowpack was 160cm deep, with everything but the top 15cm very well consolidated. Top 15cm was loose and powdery where we dug, it collapsed @ 17 taps but wouldn't come off in a cohesive slab. Looked to confirm it a few meters away and the wind affect was much more significant, obvious slab on top. Post-pit I crossed a wind affected slope and heard hollow sounding snowpack in various spots, and then loud whumpf in a 2m wide by 10m tall strip. Promptly gtfo of there. Once back within treeline no wind affect and skiing quality was great. Some of the snow was more facety as we skied down the gully. Some old avalanche debris in the top section.

Snowpack

Depth

160

Obs Type

point

Site Aspect

NE

Test Fracture

sudden

Site Elevation

2100

Ski Penetration

10

Test Initiation

moderate

Foot Penetration

30

Cracking Observed

1

Test Failure Depth

15

Site Elevation Band

tln

Surface Conditions

crust, newSnow

Whumpfing Observed

1

Incident

Group Size

2

Terrain Trap

trees

Group Activity

skiing

Terrain Shape Trigger Point

concave

Travelled across convex wind scoured slope, as I stomped to get an edge in the crust loud whumpf was heard with a crack that formed 10m above me, approx 2m wide.