24-25

Skier took a left turn under cornices to scrub speed and released a 6-10" windslab 40' wide which ran 10' at most. Super soft and easy to ski through. Photo: J Lee

Ice Cream Scoop on Skiers Left Side in Gully, North Aspect, 9280'

SS-ASu-R1-D1-S

One of the few spots on the gully where there are no trees as a wind block on the skiers left (south) side. Noticed a few cornices on south side of gully where it is exposed to W/SW/S winds. Skier took a left turn under cornices to scrub speed and released a 6-10" windslab 40' wide which ran 10' at most. Super soft and easy to ski through. 

The slope at the my skis broke about 15-20 meters wide and 15 cm deep at the flanks to 40cm deep in the gut, SS-ASu-R1-D1.5-I-M(L)-TK. About 30 meters downhill, the slab rode up onto the new snow and ran out of momentum before reaching the runout. Photo: J Negri

Skied around Beehive Basin today; there was lots of new snow and very little wind effect. Skied into the top of Bear Basin from Beehive by going up going home and down the east side, right-side-up powder skiing. While descending Island Boy into the South Fork of Spanish Creek, we had similar 60-100 cm of right-side-up new snow on a heavily textured melt-freeze layer of old snow. Felt the snow density stiffen up from light low density snow around 300 meters down the ski line so cut to the left into a safe zone, the slope at the my skis broke about 15-20 meters wide and 15 cm deep at the flanks to 40cm deep in the gut, SS-ASu-R1-D1.5-I-M(L)-TK. About 30 meters downhill, the slab rode up onto the new snow and ran out of momentum before reaching the runout. Right where the slope broke, we had wind wrapping around the north ridge cross-loading the couloir (skiers left to right), downslope, and on skiers' right of the line, there was no evidence of wind transport. Skied the rest of the line and looped back into Beehive with no other excitement. 

We rode Buck Ridge through First Yellowmule, Buck Creek, Second Yellowmule and into McAtee Basin. Pulses of snow through the day dropped an inch or two by the time we left. Light winds, no avalanches, and no signs of instability to report. The measured storm total above the melt-freeze crust was 11" (1.3" of SWE) at the top of 1st Yellowmule. The snow was well bonded to the underlying surface. Quick pits testing the snow above the melt-freeze crust yielded no indicators of instability. 

The riding was quite nice other than the lowest section of the Doe Creek Road is melted out. It was fine on the way in, but very muddy on the way out. 

Triggering an avalanche is unlikely UNLESS:

1. The wind picks up to speeds capable of transporting snow. 
2. The temperatures increase or slopes get hit by the warm spring sun. 
3. There is another significant pulse of snowfall.