Cats and Emotional Blackmail

<p>Headed to Cats/Emotional blackmail slopes and meadows. No wind, temps above zero at bottom of chair. Lowish vis with intermittent fog and light snow fall. Crusty wet below Deliverence trees to valley bottom. Snow become fluffy above 1100 m’s as we climbed No Dogs and made for 30 cm’s of recent snow fall. Rode the open meadow steepy slopes with sparse trees between Emo. Blackmail and Cats proper. Previous S wind evidence at ridge top making soft slab on lee side. Cut small .5 soft slab in skin track as we approached our high point just behind ridge and another .5 soft slab in lee of small trees just down from ridge top that sloughed but then accumulated mass running down slope for 75 + m’s and spreading out to 10 m’s wide well behind skier. No other issues besides flat light and snow getting up in my face! Snow becomes wet and heavy mid slope down cats. Ran home via Cold Sweat with sweet pillow action in unconsolidated fluffy snow till the it got wet but rideable out the valley. Did hear one short lived loud natural from Valley of Doom area mid day. </p>

Terrain Ridden

Open trees.

Terrain Avoided

Alpine slopes.

Avalanche Conditions

30cm + of new snow, or significant drifting, or rain in the last 48 hours.

Snow Conditions

Crusty, Heavy, Powder.

Weather Conditions

Cloudy, Foggy, Warm.