Good Day for Mellow Turns

AndrewfromJasper , Sunday 3rd March, 2024 6:50PM

As expected... It's spooky out there! We did a few yo-yo laps in the mellow glades at treeline on Hilda. Widespread evidence of a large natural cycle from the last storm; all aspects, all elevations. Lots of whumphing on the way up including a monster whumph that I triggered when I stepped off my skis into unsupportive snow to transition at an exposed treeline knoll... cracking and whumph propagated 50-100m in all directions lasting more than a second and circling back around. Skiing was great in the mellow glades with 10-15cm powder turns. We did find a couple pockets of unreactive windslab isolated to exposed ridgecrest and there was obvious wind effect/sastrugi in seen in the alpine/treeline and around Parker ridge. We avoided all avalanche terrain and overhead hazard and had a great day. Snow profile details in the snowpack section.

Test profile in sheltered glades at treeline 2300m, 15 deg slope. ECTP 13 down 54cm in facets above Feb 3rd melt freeze crust, test block easily slid off after failure. HS 144cm, 144-112 Fist storm snow, 112-90 1 Finger, 90-82 Pencil (Feb 3rd MfCr), 82-0 4 finger facets and depth hoar