Hilda

Avalanche

sprockter · Feb 24, 2021 · Icefields

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Quick report

Weather
sunny
Ride Type
alpineSlopes
Stayed Away
convexSlopes
Riding Quality
good
Snow Conditions
powder

Skied to 2500m on SE-NE supported ALP slopes to 35 degrees in the Hilda region today. Sunny skies and 5-10cm of HST overnight made for great ski conditions in the ALP.

Weather

Max Temp
-10
Min Temp
-20
Wind Speed
windSpeedLight
Blowing Snow
moderate
Sky Condition
fewClouds
Wind Direction
S
New Snow24 Hours
10
Precipitation Type
none

Clear skies throughout the day allowed for great ALP obs. Winds were generally light with moderate ridgetop blowing snow from the S-SW. No new precipitation during the day. -20C in the parking lot but quickly warming in the sun by midday to -10C @ 2350m

Snowpack

Depth
200
Obs Type
summary
Site Elevation Band
alp
Surface Conditions
newSnow

5-10cm low density HST overlies hard windslabs in exposed ALP features. In sheltered TL/ALP areas, this snow sits atop the previous HST from the weekend. Slope tests produced no significant results. Due to recent large natural and artificially triggered avalanches in the region, we stuck to supported slopes with low consequences and avoided any large alpine features. Average HS 250cm on Hilda Glacier.

Avalanche

Trigger Type
natural
Avalanche Size
1.5
Start Zone Aspect
SE
Avalanche Character
windSlab
Number Of Avalanches
2-5
Avalanche Observation
12hrsAgo
Start Zone Elevation Band
alp
Avalanche Occurrence Datetime
2021-02-24T17:00:00.000Z

2 recent avalanches observed in the Hilda Valley that crossed the route to the Hilda-Athabasca col. Both were Na sz 1.5 windslab on SE slopes in the ALP. One likely occurred during the storm on Saturday while the other probably occurred sometime in the morning. No other signs of instability.