Thunder Meadows - Fresh Up High. Crusty Down Low.

Quick report

Weather

foggy

Ride Type

openTrees

Riding Quality

ok

Snow Conditions

crusty, powder, windAffected

Decent conditions up high at Thunder Meadows. No new avalanches observed. Challenging climbing below ~1500m with a skiff of snow on top of a hard crust. Saturday (Jan. 21st) it was foggy all day, winds moderate from the South in the afternoon and snow/blowing in the evening. Amount 4-5cm at the hut. Stayed -8C or colder all weekend above 1900m. Probed HS~220-230cm. Cabin laps (SW aspect) on dense (slabby/punchy) snow made for ok skinning and sliding. Skied Orca Bowl to exit and opted to ski cut it first given the wind loading, new snow, and slope angle present. Snow quite unconsolidated up high (good skiing/riding!). Reminded of the incident here earlier this season, and the terrain trap present across the upper part of the bowl, we skied one at a time and regrouped beyond the terrain trap. Similar to when we ascended, the surface snow degraded to dust on HARD crust below around 1400m.