Big Kahuna Saturday

Quick report

drew.lyness · Feb 17, 2024 · Vancouver Island

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Quick report

Weather
warm, cloudy, sunny
Ride Type
steepSlopes, alpineSlopes
Riding Quality
good
Snow Conditions
powder, hard, windAffected

Plan A was the Cleveland-Feather loop, but early valley fog and the potential for rapidly increasing cloud cover sent us back to the old-dependable blue skies of Fraser. Cold temps at the road in the morning, but the inversion kicked in as forecast by noon on Fraser summit it was only a few degrees below zero. We skied the Big Kahuna before the lights dimmed. Aside from an obvious old stubborn wind slab at the entrance to the couloir which didn't react to careful prodding, the rest of the line skied better than expected - with wind pressed powder up high, & lower density powder for the final few hundred meters. The south face had mixed surfaces but also held softer snow lower down. No sign of new avalanches.