Sudden drop

Quick report

christopher.g.wills · Dec 23, 2024 · Jordan

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Quick report

Weather
cloudy
Ride Type
mellowSlopes, openTrees
Stayed Away
alpineSlopes, convexSlopes, steepSlopes
Riding Quality
good
Snow Conditions
crusty, powder

Went for a ski in the typical 15km gorge area. We found around 10cms of new snow in the parking area, which seemed to increase as we gained elevation. A rain crust was present under the new snow at 1650m and below. Above this elevation, ski quality was excellent.

Snowpack

Depth
209
Obs Type
point
Site Aspect
N
Test Fracture
sudden
Site Elevation
1950
Test Initiation
moderate
Test Failure Depth
100
Site Elevation Band
tln
Surface Conditions
newSnow
Whumpfing Observed
1
Test Failure Layer Crystal Types
surfaceHoar

Dug pit at 1950m N aspect in the typical gorge 15km area. CTM11 produced a sudden drop/planar result down 100cm, suspected on the early December SH layer. The result seemed to have a lot of 'energy' and the column popped out like a cash register. As we were packing up, we felt and heard a very large whoomph and settlement. following this, we adjusted our objective accordingly.