Had the opportunity to make many obs while completing the Happy-Doom traverse.
Very large avalanches reached both the Doom and Happy valleys during last month’s series of avy cycles, some ran across the valley to reach its opposite side. This wrecked a few classic runs in the valley, and some will be difficult to recover this season.
I expect the ALP back there didn’t get the moist snowfall from Feb 2nd that helped to create a strong bond from the Jan crust to the recent new load of Feb 11th/12th as we saw evidence of a newer avy cycle (either from the 12th or yesterday) with medium and very large avalanches on both N and S aspects. We didn’t ran into any problems, but could feel the new snow was still settling, especially on N aspects above 1500m (as opposed to yesterday in the ALP above Shames where it felt as if it was already well settled).
We skied from the summit above the divide on a SE aspect and Happy Days Couloir on a N aspect.
Surface hoar was growing already below the couloir and all the way back the valley.