Nak Shoulder
Snowpackcrustafursnowboardorowski · Jan 6, 2021 · Coquihalla
Quick report
- Weather
- warm, cloudy, sunny
- Ride Type
- sunnySlopes, openTrees, mellowSlopes, denseTrees
- Stayed Away
- convexSlopes, alpineSlopes
- Riding Quality
- ok
- Snow Conditions
- powder, crusty, heavy, wet
- Avalanche Conditions
- avalancheConditionTemp
Lots of new snow from recent storm cycle with about 20cm from the night before. Lots of wind loading in the clearings. Sun came out and temperatures rose to above zero for the afternoon making for some wet, heavy, and questionable conditions. Around 1800 the snow was still powdery, heavy and wet below 1600, then began forming a few cm crust below 1400 as it cooled off at sunset while we made our way back onto pipeline.
Snowpack
- Depth
- 320
- Obs Type
- point
- Site Aspect
- SE
- Test Fracture
- resistant
- Site Elevation
- 1650
- Ski Penetration
- 35
- Test Initiation
- easy
- Foot Penetration
- 90
- Test Failure Depth
- 20
- Site Elevation Band
- tln
- Surface Conditions
- newSnow
- Test Failure Layer Crystal Types
- facets, stormSnow
Pit located in small clearing, about 15 degree slope, wind loaded feature chosen as representative of observed wind loaded clearings on the way up. 320cm(!) snow depth confirmed effects of wind loading. Pit dug to 150cm. Snow hardness F to 50cm, 4F to 90cm, 1F thereafter CTE 3 - fracture at 15cm, storm snow CTE 5 - fracture at 20cm, storm snow CTM 15 - planar fracture at 50cm, facets CTH 29 - fracture at 90cm 50cm facet layer was biggest concern with the previous nights storm snow becoming wet and heavy throughout the day. Slid off with a gentle pry on the shovel. Avoided open faces on the skin up. Rode the clearings one at a time and avoided obviously loaded convex features. Nothing reacted on the way down.