The Chronicles of Gnarnia

AvCan Vancouver Island , Thursday 11th April, 2024 2:35PM

The preview of the knuckles just looked so enticing yesterday that we had to come back today and get deeper into the terrain. Since we were not able to get our big rig up the Beta lake road, we took the long way around and sledded up to above the Vic Cole cabin and then skied down to the Beta lake road from there. At the beginning of the day there was a mostly supportive crust on everything that was warmed by the sun yesterday. By noon this had softened to a moist surface everywhere. We headed up to the little knuckle, dug a pit, and then took a lap into Gnarnia. In our pit we found sudden resistant moderate results where the most recent storm snow meets the crust. This same result did not propagate in our extended column test. With some terrain management techniques we felt comfortable heading up to the shoulder of the little knuckle. On our climb back to the ridge we got a good view of the slab avalanche from yesterday and saw that it was triggered within the storm snow from a piece of cornice falling. One of those common warm day hazards. From here it was some amazing spring skiing and then the trip back out to our sleds to get home. Dear Knuckles, I think we are in love!