auto: Quick Report

Quick report

Weather

cold

Ride Type

denseTrees, steepSlopes, sunnySlopes, openTrees, alpineSlopes

Stayed Away

convexSlopes

Riding Quality

ok

Snow Conditions

windAffected, powder

Skied Vent Shaft slopes and Vent Shaft Couloir via Kors-Thomas bowl ascent. Significant surface hoar preserved BTL, specifically 1600-1900 m to 15 mm. Occasional isolated weak settlements while ascending; some associated lazy cracking, avoided open glades. Not a consolidated slab above 171215 SH down 30-45 cm. SH present on N to W aspects to TL. Navigated a somewhat punchy windslab on ridgetop lee feature unreactive to Ski cut. Attempted to descend a steep South slope however there was a prenounced sun crust 30-45 cms down. HST on top of crust was still low density/un-settled but it was difficult to judge potential for propagation as feature was large with potential to interconnect into thin HS. Descended an alternate route (Vent Shaft slopes); good quality skiing once BTL. Widespread wind affect in all ALP and exposed TL. Ski Pen to 30 cms BTL-no settlements noted on descent of SW asp. Ascended Avalanche Peak via Kors-Thomas Bowl; widespread wind affect; although sun crust was present down 20-70 cms on steep ALP terrain CT results were inconclusive. Homogeneous pencil density pack below 20-70 cms of HST. Ski quality deteriorated inversely to elevation. Top of Vent Shaft couloir was punchy inconsistant bootpacking. Good coverage in couloir however snow surface condition was marginal for skiing due to wind affect. No reactive windslab and very little sluffing in terrain to 40 deg (NW asp.), as surface was capped by a 2-4 cm thick ‘wind crust’.