Week March 17 to 23, 2024

HS at Mallard lodge (1970m) is 130cm but thinner in many locations.

The basal layer of rounding DH is still weak producing hard SC results when tested.

Feb-3 MFcr is 3-5cm and still prevalent all around and is to be found roughly a 1/3 down in the HS.

We also have a March-21 MFcr, just below 15cm of new snow.

Between the basal layer and Feb 3, there is a mix of 4F, and 1F layers.

New snow is still very dry on most aspects and elevations except for steep solar, where a wet slab is forming and on TL flat terrain where the surface is becoming moist.

During the week we went from an avalanche hazard of 4 to one of 2, mostly due to the cold conditions.

No whooping or cracking was observed—also, minimal sluffing when skiing steep terrain. Last day of our trip, March 24 we observed an increase in natural Loose-dry activity out of steep rocky terrain on N, NE aspects.

Avalanche activity has been limited few Loose Dry, up to SZ1, out of steep rocky terrain.

A lot, of the week-old natural cycle (March 16, 17th), debris was observed on our arrival to the area, with many avalanches up to Sz3, mostly failing on the Feb3 layer out of steep rocky, solar-exposed terrain, but also some wind slab in more shaded, lee aspects at ridge top.

We skied more steep terrain as the week progressed and we gained confidence in the stability of the snowpack, this stability is based mostly on the cold conditions at the lodge, -19C yesterday morning, but on the same note, solar radiation is strong, changing rapidly the trust on the mentioned MFcr.

Cornices are still quite healthy and present an important overhead hazard.

The snow surface was moist at TL except for North aspects were still dry. SH growth (up to 6mm) was observed on ALP and TL shaded areas.