Big Blue

Quick report

Weather

cloudy, sunny, windy

Ride Type

alpineSlopes, mellowSlopes, steepSlopes

Riding Quality

good

Snow Conditions

crusty, powder, windAffected

We skied the glaciers in the Big Blue Valley yesterday. Approximately 15 cm of wind-pressed powder over a supportive crust provided good riding conditions on north-facing slopes. Saturday’s warm temperatures produced a thin melt-freeze crust on steeper east- and west-facing aspects that caught direct sun. We observed one recent avalanche (within the past ~72 hours): a size 1 wind slab on a cross-loaded east-facing slope. The slab released below a steep rock face and ran approximately 30 m. South winds began to increase around 14:00, and cloud cover moved in quickly by 15:00.