Pretty gross out there
Quick reportj_nowicki · Dec 12, 2025 · North Columbia
Quick report
- Weather
- stormy
- Ride Type
- mellowSlopes
- Stayed Away
- convexSlopes, alpineSlopes, steepSlopes
- Riding Quality
- terrible
- Snow Conditions
- crusty
- Avalanche Conditions
- avalancheConditionSlab
Had to go see what it was like out there in the South Purcells after the mega storm. Turns out freezing levels really did go above 2300m on Weds night. Thick but breakable crust with saturated wet snow below the crust up to around 2000m. A thinner rain crust (around 2cm) was present all the way up to 2300m with drier storm snow below. Probed around 130-170cm at 2100m. We didn’t do any skiing due to the crust and natural avalanches, stayed on the sleds and took it real easy. Temps were above freezing again in the valley bottom by the end of the day. Slush town on the road out. Snowed about 5-10cm throughout the afternoon above 1400m. Pics are of two different ~80cm storm slab avalanches we observed on a SE aspect from Weds or Thursday. See snowpack tab for our pit results.
Snowpack
- Depth
- 150
- Obs Type
- point
- Site Aspect
- SE
- Test Fracture
- sudden
- Site Elevation
- 2100
- Test Initiation
- easy
- Foot Penetration
- 60
- Test Failure Depth
- 90
- Site Elevation Band
- tln
- Surface Conditions
- newSnow, crust
- Test Failure Layer Crystal Types
- facets, crust
Column test results: 1st test: CTE 1 😳 - 90cm down on small grain facets 2nd test: CTM 12 - 90cm down on small grain facets Quick density profile (surface at 150cm) 150-130cm: 4 Finger new snow with 3 rain crusts layered in there 130-120: 4F 120-80: 1F 80-60: 4F 60- thin layer of small grain weak facets 60- ground: 1F+ rounding large facets