Video Peak / 8812 Bowl / Nicci's Notch

<p>We started our ice-box of a day with Video Peak. We observed a thin wind "skin" at TL on all aspects followed by a widespread 10-15cm 4F wind slab on the S-SE slopes. We got a single whumpf on the mellow grades of Hospital Bowl. The slab properties degraded as we gained the summit. Across the upper half of Hospital Bowl, the surface snow was visibly wind-affected but still offered excellent powder turns. . We saw similar slabby conditions on the Bruins Ridge going towards 8812 bowl. On the down, 8812 bowl offered well-settled snow with no obvious signs of instability. We observed a 48+hr-old Sz2 crown from the steep, rocky SE face of 8812 and a more recent Sz1 dry loose in the nearby area, probably triggered by the winds. . On to Nicci's Notch/Cheops North Bowl. We found a soft wind slab on the immediate lee of Balu Pass (looker's left), created by the previous S winds - cracking limited to a ski's length. We ski-cut a Sz 1 wind slab (10-20cm x 20m crown, running 30m) at the NE-facing steep roll/entrance to Cheops North Bowl. Nicci's Notch was wind-loaded but unreactive after a big ski-cut at the entrance of the chute - only noticing some minor sluffing. Some folks within our party skied the North Bowl and reported heavily wind-affected snow. A previous party had released a Sz1 (30cm x 15m) in the NE flank of a gully below the North Bowl. . All in all, 2-2-2 hazard rating was justified.</p>

Terrain Ridden

Alpine slopes, Steep slopes.

Terrain Avoided

Convex slopes.

Avalanche Conditions

Whumpfing or drum-like sounds or shooting cracks.

Snow Conditions

Deep powder, Wind affected.

Weather Conditions

Cold, Foggy, Cloudy, Sunny.