Public Observation

Observation Details

Observations

Toured up the Tyee Lakes drainage Sunday (2/5) in search of good snow and mellow, sheltered terrain. The search paid off and we found both. Skiing was fantastic, some of the lightest, fluffiest power I've ever seen in the sierra, and surprisingly we found stable conditions (though we never ventured out into non sheltered terrain).

We found on average 15-30cm of new snow, with closer to 30-50cm up higher. Even pole probed and found 60cm, though that seems like a lot and may have included the soft recycled powder this storm fell on. Mindful of the avalanche we triggered in Bardini canyon on friday, we were cautious and on the lookout for a slab. However, we never found a slab anywhere in the trees. There was lots of new snow, there was most likely the weak layer down there (we didn't dig), but there were never any storm or wind slabs anywhere we skinned or skied, except for one spot just leeward of a ridge. I kicked a very steep rollover, and couldn't get anything to crack, only limited sloughing. All in all, it was interesting to be out and be basically unable to find a slab at all. I don't think this lack of a slab is reflective of areas higher up, and we saw blowing snow on the ridgelines, but we were pleasantly surprised.

Coverage was great. I didn't hit any sharks, though there are hidden obstacles. My partner almost fell in a 20 foot hole and navigated us away from it, so if you do go out there, be careful. That said, there were lots of things to jump off, and we logged some very fun airtime.

Signs of Unstable Snow