SSV Backcountry

Kevin S. , Friday 29th November, 2024 5:15PM

Spent the last 2 days touring around SSV Slackcountry. Temps ranged from -13 in the am to -9 at 2pm. Light to mod NW winds bringing moist air and convective flurries along the divide resulting in 4cm of very low density snow above last week's storm snow. Skiing in Newfie bowl yesterday (thurs) was very good (20cm ski pen) and mostly supportive if you could avoid tagging rocks. Wawa bowl today was much more faceted with ski pen ranging from 20 to 60 cm making for tedious trail breaking but decent enough turns. Dug a quick pit, 1pm, on the S facing leeward side of the ridge, 2360m, 20deg slope and got the following results. HS85cm, CTM14 SP down 20cm below the last storm snow, CTM15 SP down 35cm above a 1cm thick, 1 finger crust, CTM17 SC in the basal facets 75cm down. A skicut on an inconsequential convex roll failed to produce any result likely because the snowpack is starting to facet out and isn't stiff enough to propagate.