Hospital Creek
Diana Saly,
Saturday 8th February, 2025 10:38PM
<p>Up Hospital Creek we found firm wind slabs in the alpine and buried surface hoar at treeline. We saw recent wind slab avalanches in the alpine including a large (size 2.5) avalanche likely triggered by sledders yesterday on a west/northwest aspect at 2200m, mid slope - lower than you would expect.
In the alpine we found about 150 cm of snow with a 20 cm thick pencil wind slab under about 20 cm of new snow, a strong mid-pack, and then 60 cm of facets and depth hoar in the ground.
While walking at treeline we felt a couple of whumphs. We dug down and did an Extended Comumn Test which produced a sudden collapse on ECTM-20 on the mid January Surface Hoar which is down about 50 cm in this neck of the woods, video here: https://youtu.be/ff0DeaXPvYU See the attached photo for a good visual of the two prominent buried surface hoar layers.
We rode rather consevatively but found high quality turns on the skis and sleds.</p>
Avalanche Conditions
Slab avalanches today or yesterday.
Whumpfing or drum-like sounds or shooting cracks.
Snow Conditions
Wind affected, Powder.
Weather Conditions
Cold, Sunny.
Location: 51.37936205 -116.88405685