Sled skiing in Atlin, BC.

Quick report

Weather

warm, cloudy, windy

Ride Type

alpineSlopes, openTrees

Stayed Away

sunnySlopes

Riding Quality

ok

Snow Conditions

wet

Avalanche Conditions

avalancheConditionTemp

With the Klondike highway closed this morning, we headed to Atlin, BC for a sled ski day. Good to be back on home turf! We skied the ramp on the north face of ruby mountain. This line avoids the overhead cornice hazard of the main bowl. The cornices are huge at the moment! We had warm temps with +3c at 1900m, overcast and light south winds at ridge top. Later in the afternoon the snowpack below 1000m became isothermal and stepping off the sleds meant wallowing in waist deep wet snow! The sled track was punching 40cm deep on the way back to the truck. It was +8c in the parking lot at the end of the day. We saw evidence of a natural avalanche cycle (11 avalanches) on south east aspects ~ 48 - 72hrs old. These avalanches were wet and all ran full path tearing up timber and crossing the road at the bottom of the valley in Cracker creek! Parking is limited as Otter creek is now plowed and back in operational mining mode. The turn around at campground at Suprise lake is well plowed and sled access / snow cover is good above this point.