Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
Skinned up the Boulderfield, then cut left to the top of Rampzilla. Skied a short, steep couloir on the north side of Herman, then ascended to below the top pitch of Corona Bowl before bailing left to the top of Little Switzerland due to unexpectedly aggressive wind-loading at the Corona/Secret Col. The windslab problem was complex and shifting throughout the day. Both my partner and I kicked off multiple 10-15 cm wind pockets on the northside of Herman, as multiple slabs were layered on top of one another and poorly bonded between themselves. These pockets were small and did not propagate widely. Later, skiing on the east side of Herman Gulch, I experienced significant cracking on multiple small, steep rolls, with cracks extending two to three times the length of my skis. The wind appeared to shift direction throughout the day and was significantly stronger at certain ridgeline terrain features than midslope and lower. In particular, winds were well into the extreme range at the top of Little Switzerland, and both my partner and I had difficulty staying upright on the ridge.