Hudson Bay Mtn - Slackcountry Obs

<p>Obsewrvations from a Youth Avalanche Awareness Course today, we toured just to treeline adjacent to the Prairie T. Conditions are inverted, with warm air present above 1500m. We had a high of 2c at 1550m. Snow surface varies, there is a healthy layer of surface growing below treeline, that tapers at 1500m with the warmth. Above 1500m, a melt freeze crust was present today 1-2cm thick. We did a quick dig to look at snowpack layering, and found 110cm in a sheltered treeline meadow. The upper and midpack is well settled rounded grains, with a very thin crust down 30cm - with no shears. The October crust is perfectly obvious at the base of the pack, with moist sugary snow above. This layer gave a very hard shear, but a sudden drop fracture character. The Alpine is wind hammered and variable distribution of the seasons snowpack. I expect the melt freeze crusts goes to the roof, especially on the solar aspects. No avalanches observed in limited area we saw, no whumpfing. We jumped around on some small wind loaded gully features with no results. Fun day out with a keen group of young shredders. </p>

Terrain Ridden

Mellow slopes, Sunny slopes, Open trees.

Terrain Avoided

Steep slopes, Convex slopes.

Avalanche Conditions

Rapid temperature rise to near zero degrees or wet surface snow.

Snow Conditions

Crusty, Wind affected.

Weather Conditions

Warm.