Nicky's Notch + STS Couloir
Quick reportmattcotay · Nov 16, 2019 · Little Yoho
Quick report
- Weather
- windy, cloudy
- Ride Type
- alpineSlopes, convexSlopes, steepSlopes
- Riding Quality
- OK
- Snow Conditions
- hard, windAffected, powder
- Avalanche Conditions
- avalancheConditionSlab
Had a good run in Nicky's Notch where it was sheltered. It was wind-pressed in the open, and thin at the bottom. Went up to STS after, top of the couloir skied great, but it got stiff mid run. We pulled out two decent sized wind slabs at the lower elevations.
Avalanche
Pulled out two decent-sized pockets in STS today -- skier accidental, no involvement. Top of the couloir skied really well, became stiff and wind loaded mid run. The flanks were loaded with isolated, unsupported hard slabs from down-flowing wind. Very uneven distribution to the slab. A lot of variability with elevation. Ran on crust from the warming previous to the storm, which apparently came with a lot of wind. Watch for thin-to-thick triggering in wind-deposit zones. New storm load on these spots will be precarious in the days to come if it doesn't naturally cycle.