Powder slashing in Fraser Chutes

Quick report

Yukon Field Team · Dec 9, 2021 · Vancouver Island

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Quick report

Weather
cloudy
Ride Type
openTrees
Stayed Away
steepSlopes
Riding Quality
Good
Snow Conditions
powder
Avalanche Conditions
avalancheConditionSnow, avalancheConditionSound

We skied open treeline features to 35 degrees today in Fraser Chutes. Ski quality was excellent in the recent 30cm of storm snow. We dug a profile in an open area at 1200m and discovered 90cm of snow sitting on 25cm of weak, sugary snow with a thin crust above. As we transitioned to higher elevations and more exposed areas the snowpack depth decreased rapidly due to wind scouring. On one open feature we had a whumpf and the slope cracked 10m above us. This was a sign that we needed to dial it back so we stuck to smaller features without the potential to produce large avalanches just incase we triggered this layer again.

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