| we skied Surprise Pass today under mainly sunny skies and a moderate North West wind blowing at ridge top. some snow transport was observed. temps were -15 mid day.
on all open aspects from North through to South West we found a 5cm thick crust, which was very stiff (hard to push a pencil into) and carried multiple person’s weight without collapsing. over top of this was approximately 5cm of new snow. in more wind exposed areas, the new snow was forming soft slabs up to 15cm thick and would break free from the crust below when skied over. they did not run far, nor did they gain much mass. we did not observe any natural slides, and only one small slough that released from a steep, rocky area - possibly triggered by some warming by the sun. the new snow stayed cool & dry, even on steeper solar aspects.
on the descent down the North side of the pass, the new snow was bonding well with the old surfaces. skiing was agreeable, with the new snow having been redistributed by the winds into a very soft slab. old tracks were still visible in the snow and have yet to soften up with the cold temps.
cheers,
dave healey acmg ski guide caa professional
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