Persistent Slabs
- Alpine
- Treeline
- Below treeline
- Likelihood
- Possible
- Size
- 4
The setup hasn't magically healed overnight and steep, wind drifted slopes are at a tenuous balance.
Winds are always the great equalizer on the eastern front and Wednesday nights hurricane force wind changed the landscape and tipped the scales. Now the tricky part... while some slopes avalanched naturally, others wait for a trigger like us to roll along and knock the legs out from underneath. And the most likely place to trigger an avalanche is where a dense, strong, solid layer (slab) rests on weaker snow (Persistent Weak Layer or PWL) formed during the mid November dry-spell. That combo is found on slopes facing the north half of the compass, especially those in the wind zone at and above treeline, and particularly on slopes with an easterly component to their aspect. So, by avoiding this setup, you essentially avoid avalanches!
My strategy is finding terrain I can ride, have a fun day, and NOT trigger an avalanche. And actually that's an easy one. Travel is straight-forward on a very supportable base and low angle terrain rides like a dream! With no shortage of great riding in big open meadows and on lower angle slopes, there's plenty of opportunity to avoid pulling on the avalanches dragons tail all together.
