Skier Remote size 2.5

Lorne Graham , Thursday 20th April, 2023 5:45PM

Spent the past 4 days working in Rogers Pass. Three days out of Asulkan Hut and today we spent the day up little Sifton.

On the south side of the highway surface instabilities where the only concern with reactive storm snow and easy ski cutting on steep unsupported features after new snow over the past few days. Very managable as 15-20cm soft storm slab with good propagation but little consequence do to low density storm snow. Melt-freeze crust and poor ski quality below 2000m on all aspects with good dry snow on north aspects above 2000m.

Today while skinnng up Little Sifton on the last summit ridge, second skier coming up to summit remote triggered a size 2.5 slab avalanche off to the lookers left about 100m away on much steeper terrain. The avalanche initiated in very steep rocky terrain with impressive propagation (about 300m +). this also sympathetically released a size 1 lower down on a small convex roll.

Although I did not go investigate the crown, it would appear to be 30cm (average with a wind loaded max depth 75-100cm) of settled storm releasing on a solar crust. Pictures attached. Intense solar influence today with lots of pocket size 1.5 slabs in very steep terrain in the alpine and loose wet on steep solar aspects all elevations size 1-1.5