Avalanche Conditions

4 photos

Rock & Roll Duffey Lake Road on Boxing Day

Rock & Roll Duffey Lake Road

Avalanche Conditions

Hey Everyone,

Skied a great loop with my dad and a friend ascending Exidoor from Marriot Basin and descending Rock & Roll in the Cayoosh Basin.

A very light 5-10cm of new snow was falling on the approach but cleared to blue skies by the PM. Little to no wind in the alpine.

The surface was low-density snow below treeline with more variable conditions in the alpine. Surface facetting is occurring and the newer snow (since mid-December) is not settling any further. In the alpine, surfaces have been scoured to the Dec 15th crust or windslabs are present but unreactive to skier triggering.

Rock and Roll skied well in the upper elevations but had a sun crust (SW aspect) midway down until reaching the cooler and more shaded lower elevations. Did not dig but there were no signs of instability. Still no new slab avalanches in the area. However, as more snowfall approaches, I would be cautious as the load increases on the hard mid-December interface.

Currently loose dry avalanches were the biggest concern for us today as they were running fast (but without much mass) on the mid december layer down ~30cm.

Have fun out there.

On The Map

These observations and opinions are those of the person who submitted them. The ACMG and its members take no responsibility for errors, omissions, or lapses in continuity. Conditions differ greatly over time and space due to the variable nature of mountain weather and terrain. Application of this information provides no guarantee of increased safety. Do not use the Mountain Conditions Report as the sole factor in planning trips or making decisions in the field.