Breezy Bijoux

It was a stormy one up on Bijoux today. Strong, southwest winds were blowing snow along the ridges and forming fresh windslab on lee features. It snowed most of the day with temperatures rising to around -3ºC at treeline. We saw shooting cracks and a few size 1 avalanches in wind-loaded treeline terrain. These wind slab avalanches were 25-50 cm deep and had failed naturally, some time just before we arrived in Pine Bowl. With clear signs the snow needs more time to gain strength, we decided to stick to the trees. We rode creeks, open forest, and small features. About 35 cm of soft, new snow in this sheltered, low-angle terrain made for great riding well away from the avalanche hazard. Snow depth is now deeper than our 320 cm probes, but we estimate it averages 360 cm total. The Feb 7 crust was down 80 to 120 cm and appeared fairly bonded to the snow above it. Tucked in some little honey holes well away from the wind and any old sled tracks, the powder feels bottomless.