On the final day of an AMGA Ski Exam we toured up to Darkside Lake with the intention of skiing a few storm snow laps in sub-alpine terrain. We found 20cm new snow with some wind effect around ridge tops. On the way up we met a couple skiers who mentioned they’d triggered one of the Stoop Chutes. Before our last run down Chute 56 we observed the start zone of this reported avalanche. It was a steep E aspect with some light wind loading. The avalanche appeared to be a 25-30cm deep x 20m fracture line (already filling in) remotely triggered from the ridge 10-15m away on a 40-degree slope. It ran sz. 2 full path. We did not observe any other instabilities aside from power sluffing on steep rolls but recent windslabs were definitely on our radar. We did not find buried SH and the bond of new snow on the crust in the locations we dug was producing Moderate resistant planar results.

The skiing at lower elevations (below 1500m) and on solar aspects was “dust on crust,” but shady and sheltered aspects offered creamy turns. MOT planned control work for today.