Ursus Minor SE Couloir

<p>Wonderful day up Ursus Minor and down its SE face/couloir. We went up Hospital Bowl onto the Ursus Minor Shoulder. Uptrack delivered a ski penetration of 10-15cm over a variety of snow from dry powder to wind-affected snow. As we gained the col through the south face, we noticed isolated hollow-sounding 4F wind slabs (10cm down) and a breakable sun crust from the previous days. The face was wind-scoured for the most part, making it difficult to hold an edge. Alpine temps of -4.5C. Bootpack up the peak was in excellent condition, albeit a little facetted (but what can you expect from a thin, rocky snowpack). By 1PM, the snow in steep, solar aspects was beginning to show slab properties with cracking propagating just beyond our skis. We skied down the second, wider couloir (looker's right of Ursus Minor) where we found a mix of 4F wind slabs near ridgetop, wind-affected (super grabby) snow, dry loose powder, and a sun crust. Cold smoke once in Dispatcher Bowl and down the waterfall. Na activity was observed from steep, solar aspects in the form of dry loose avalanches - Sz 1 at most.</p>

Terrain Ridden

Alpine slopes, Steep slopes, Sunny slopes.

Snow Conditions

Crusty, Heavy, Hard, Wind affected, Powder.

Weather Conditions

Cold, Sunny.