Q Ball NE face

Quick report

peterpan · Mar 22, 2025 · North Bulkley

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Quick report

Weather
cloudy
Ride Type
alpineSlopes, steepSlopes
Stayed Away
cutBlocks
Riding Quality
good
Snow Conditions
powder
Avalanche Conditions
avalancheConditionSnow

Skier intentional cornice drop in Q Ball NE face. Size 2.5 slab avalanche triggered. Some pin wheeling on steep solar aspect during the brief periods of sun. Snow on polar aspects remained cool. Signs of size 1 to 2 avalanches on polar aspects from previous storm cycle, debris buried by recent snow. No snowpack tests done other than the intentional cornice drop.

Weather

Avg Temp
-3
Wind Speed
windSpeedModerate
Blowing Snow
light
Sky Condition
brokenClouds
Wind Direction
SW
New Snow24 Hours
10
Temperature Trend
rising

Broken skies unsettled wx until early afternoon then increasing cloudiness. Odd snow squalls here and there.

Avalanche

Run Length
200
Slab Width
50
Trigger Type
skier
Wind Exposure
leeSlope
Avalanche Size
2.5
Slab Thickness
40
Trigger Sub Type
intentional
Start Zone Aspect
NE
Vegetation Cover
openSlope
Start Zone Incline
50
Avalanche Character
corniceWithSlab
Crust Near Weak Layer
1
Number Of Avalanches
1
Start Zone Elevation
2060
Runout Zone Elevation
1800
Weak Layer Burial Date
2025-03-15
Avalanche Observation
12hrsAgo
Weak Layer Crystal Type
facets
Start Zone Elevation Band
alp
Avalanche Occurrence Datetime
2025-03-22T19:21:00.878Z

We suspected wind loading in the line but wanted to have a look and test the snowpack. Very positive results from cutting 10-12m3 chunk of cornice on loaded steep start zone. It sure cleared the line pretty good! No step down to persistent weak layer despite significant size of the avalanche. 30-60cm crown line depth. We skied the bed surface for the upper part of the line then skied the margin of the slidepath on good snow once the slope was more supported. Good skiing in the lower part of the basin.