Wind Slab on a Crust

Quick report

Weather

cloudy, foggy

Ride Type

alpineSlopes, denseTrees, mellowSlopes, steepSlopes

Riding Quality

good

Snow Conditions

crusty, powder

Avalanche Conditions

avalancheConditionSlab, avalancheConditionSnow

Avalanche

Run Length

150

Slab Width

7

Trigger Type

skier

Wind Exposure

leeSlope

Avalanche Size

1.5

Slab Thickness

30

Trigger Sub Type

accidental

Start Zone Aspect

N, NW

Vegetation Cover

openSlope

Avalanche Character

windSlab

Crust Near Weak Layer

1

Number Of Avalanches

1

Start Zone Elevation

2445

Avalanche Observation

12hrsAgo

Start Zone Elevation Band

alp

Avalanche Occurrence Datetime

2025-11-07T21:00:00.000Z

Skied a south-facing line off Ymir Peak and observed no signs of instability but signs of wind effect. The rain crust from earlier in the week is supportive, with about 30 cm of new snow sitting on top. On the way out, we chose to drop a northwest-facing chute into Ymir Bowl (a lee aspect). The first skier entered the gully and cut across it, triggering a wind slab that released the entire gully (size 1.5/2. The skier stopped after sliding only a couple of meters—no injuries. The 30 cm of new snow sheared cleanly on the rain crust. Definitely a good reminder not to get complacent early in the season. As the snowpack builds, that rain crust could produce bigger avalanches.