French glacier approach
Quick reporthaeden.ford · Dec 29, 2025 · Spray - KLakes
Quick report
- Weather
- windy
- Ride Type
- alpineSlopes, denseTrees, openTrees, mellowSlopes
- Stayed Away
- steepSlopes, convexSlopes
- Riding Quality
- terrible
- Snow Conditions
- crusty, windAffected
Attempted to get onto the French glacier today. Dug a pit once in the alpine and decided to turn around due to the avalanche conditions and wind.
Snowpack
- Depth
- 260
- Obs Type
- point
- Site Aspect
- W
- Test Fracture
- unevenBreak
- Site Elevation
- 2362
- Ski Penetration
- 0
- Test Initiation
- moderate
- Foot Penetration
- 10
- Test Failure Depth
- 35
- Site Elevation Band
- alp
- Surface Conditions
- crust
- Test Failure Layer Crystal Types
- crust
Did a single isolated column compression test on a west aspect 22 degree slope. Pit depth was 130cm with snow pack depth at pit location of 260cm. After 8 medium taps we had a Non-planar break at 35cm. Decided to continue the test as I thought a different layer would go and after two more medium taps we had a Sudden planar break at 50cm. Continued with the hard taps and was not able to get the remaining column to collapse.