Elk Creek

One of my most memorable "ski tours" this season. I hiked up Seven Sisters in running shoes, and as I skinned across the low-angle terrain of Elk Creek Ridge, the snowpack looked and felt like a mature summer snowpack: the snowpack was often supportive, and grains were larger and more mature. I was doubtful I would find an avalanche at this elevation.  But as soon as I put a couple of small ski cuts in steep NE-facing terrain, the snowpack changed consistency, and every ski cut produced a gouging wet loose avalanche.  The first moved impressively fast and easily picked up enough volume to bury someone, despite running onto the bedsurface of an older wet slab.   The rest were smaller pieces of hangfire with less entrainment potential, but equally reactive.  It is still dangerous on the shady side, and seemingly impossible to ski steep terrain here without taking out the whole snowpack with each turn.