Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
Toured from the Packers Meadow rode up point 7800 to ski north aspects. Winds were non-existent at valley floor (5500) and strong (30+) one ridge lines over 7000. Due to observed avalanches, did not ski planned slope, instead skiing lower angle and lower elevation terrain which was both better ski quality and more manageable. Currently, it seems in the upper elevations of the northern Bitterroot, better ski quality aligns with a manageable margin of safety at mid elevations.
Avalanche
Avalanches in the building, but soft storm slab were prevalent and visible in all leeward terrain (east, northeast). Our party both viewed these avalanches from below the corniced ridge line and triggered them while managing our terrain carefully. While using the northeast shoulder at 7500' as a test slope, we were able to remotely trigger an additional slide. Avalanches were all D1, releasing on old snow interface and were 6-12 inches deep for the most part. As we avoided east and northeast facing terrain, it is likely we did not experience the greater potential of the likely deeper slabs on those aspects. I am personally classifying these avalanches as storm slabs vs. wind slabs due to the very soft (fist hard) nature of the slab that was propagating, although the distances were 30-40 ' in width and were certainly the result of wind deposition of the new snow. Viewed, high energy level (propagation propensity) in the storm snow indicated to us larger avalanches were likely in steeper terrain.