Buzz ridge north face
Quick reportnicolas.lauziere · Mar 29, 2024 · Kootenay Pass
Quick report
- Weather
- cloudy, sunny, windy
- Ride Type
- alpineSlopes, mellowSlopes
- Stayed Away
- convexSlopes, steepSlopes
- Riding Quality
- amazing
- Snow Conditions
- deepPowder, wet, windAffected
- Avalanche Conditions
- avalancheConditionSlab, avalancheConditionSnow, avalancheConditionSound
We skinned up Buzz ridge with the intention of skiing the north face to avoid the crust and wind slabs. Found more snow on the north face than expected and skier triggered an avalanche. We later noticed evidence of cross-loading into the north face (SE-directed). We adjusted our plan to ski a lower angle slope and stuck to treed or low angle slopes for the rest of the day.
Avalanche
- Run Length
- 150
- Slab Width
- 15
- Trigger Type
- skier
- Wind Exposure
- crossLoadedSlope
- Avalanche Size
- 1
- Slab Thickness
- 35
- Trigger Sub Type
- accidental
- Start Zone Aspect
- N, NE
- Vegetation Cover
- openSlope
- Start Zone Incline
- 30
- Avalanche Character
- stormSlab
- Crust Near Weak Layer
- 1
- Number Of Avalanches
- 1
- Start Zone Elevation
- 2100
- Runout Zone Elevation
- 1950
- Start Zone Elevation Band
- alp
- Avalanche Occurrence Datetime
- 2024-03-29T20:00:00.000Z
Point release initiated during skier's turn. Shooting cracks about 15 m sideways and second crown observed about 50 m below just underneath a constriction in the avalanche path. 30-40 cm soft storm slab over crust. Skiers was not carried in the avalanche. Noticed similar slab while skinning back up a steepening north facing ridge and decided to choose an alternative uphill route.
Incident
- Group Size
- 2
- Terrain Trap
- gullyDepression
- Group Activity
- skiing
- Number Injured
- 0
- Number Involved
- 0
- Number Caught Only
- 0
- Number Fully Buried
- 0
- Snow Depth Trigger Point
- deep
- Terrain Shape Trigger Point
- concave
- Number Partly Buried Able Breathing
- 0
- Number Partly Buried Impaired Breathing
- 0
Skier triggered but not caught.