Vermillion Slide Path

Skied Vermillion slide path today. Above the confluence of the various forms of the gully conditions were excellent, boot top powder over the Feb 3 crust, between the confluence and the choke conditions were variable but fun to ski, and below the choke was mostly either skied out crud or breakable crust. Some wind effect and pockets of wind slab throughout the run. Travel conditions in the burn were not favourable until above the choke, so we chose to skin up the fan, then boot through the choke and skin out into the burn once above the choke. While booting up through the choke, I triggered a size 0.5 wind slab avalanche in an isolated pocket of wind slab on unsupported terrain. We were willing to continue due to the wind loading being very obvious and only in small, isolated pockets.

Triggered a size 0.5 wind slab avalanche on an unsupported terrain feature while booting through the choke on vermillion slide path. See photo.

Periods of snow up to 1cm/h alternating with clearing periods throughout the day. Winds light to moderate from the SW shifting to the NW later in the day (at least locally)