Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
- Collapsing
- isolated
Traveled to the Gulf of Slides with the hope of skiing something steep. Noted variable conditions on the GoS trail up, including windblown drifts and wind-scoured areas, all pretty close together. Set our sights on Main Gully, and noticed more variable snow up the runout. Dug a pit to the climber's right, about 150m below the fork in Main Gully. The slope was east facing, about 30 degrees in pitch. Base of pit was 45cm above the ground, and snow depth varied from 105-165cm. There was a ~10cm 1F hard slab on top of ~35cm of 4F/fist hard snow. This layer was generally looser and unconsilidated. Below this was ~60cm of pencil hard older snow surface extending to the ground. A compression test and extended column test were performed. Column test failed after 22 taps, with a Q1 shear ~30cm down. ECT19 with two fractures almost simultaneously, one around 30cm deep and the other at the interface with the older bed surface about 65cm deep. Both pieces pulled off easily, with a smooth (Q1) shear. Based on this and the shooting cracks we observed earlier, we decided not to climb any higher and skied down from where we dug. Variable snow throughout the terrain. In windblown areas, shooting cracks were observed under the weight of a person. Cracks extended 60-90cm, and were fully penetrating the top firm layer of snow.
Weather
- Air Temp
- 2
- Cloud Cover
- few