Relay Peak

We toured up to the south end of Relay Ridge with about 6 to 8 inches of fresh snow observed from the parking area. As we ascended to higher elevations and up a west-facing slope, the snow was wind-affected with very little ski penetration. We skied the east bowl, thinking it was the most mellow terrain on wind-affected fresh snow that was not the most forgiving. No instabilities or leeward wind slabs were observed during our tour at this time. We decided to try a more northeast aspect of the bowl, hoping for less wind-affected powder and better skiing. As the slope steepened above 30 degrees, I dug two hasty pits, each having a Q3 shear and pulling about 30-45cm of fresh snow off. At that point, we gathered near the ridge and tested some slopes, observing shooting cracks but no releases. With these concerning results, we decided to transition on the ridge and carefully ski down a slightly steep slope before it mellowed out to sub 30 degrees. As usual in these type of conditions, I llet my partner go first. After my partner traversed across the slope and descended in great powder, I noticed an arcing shooting crack above his traverse ski track that ran about 6 meters. Instead of following his tracks, I skied the ridge down to low-angle terrain and met him below the slope. No other signs of instability or avalanches were observed.

Quick report