Every which west

What better place to check up on our Wind Slab and Persistent Slab avalanche problems than the corner of our forecast region with the most Continental snowpack?

In the Skyland area today, the Wind Slab avalanche problem is alive and well, though maybe a little unsure of itself.

• Strong winds were blowing and drifting snow at all elevations, with more blowing snow as we climbed higher.
• The blowing snow was building corncies and top-loading or cross-loading slopes on the lee (downwind) side of ridgelines. The loading seemed to be mostly dense but soft drifts.
• Winds were strong enough to blow snow well downslope, or high enough that some of it was sublimating without forming drifts. 
• We saw about 5 fresh avalanches that failed at or just below upper elevation ridges. Most occurred on very steep, easterly slopes and seemed to be triggered by falling cornices. See the avalanche details tab for more info.
• Given the loading, I was suprised not to see more. Shadows and drifted-over debris may have camoflaged more slides. 
• We tested numerous mid and low elevation slopes by undercutting or loading them with our snowmobiles, but got no cracking or triggered slabs.
• At mid and upper elevations, ski cuts and stomping also produced no signs of instability. Cornices only broke directly underfoot when stomped, though we didn't test the monster ones for obvious reasons. 

As for the Persistent Slab avalanche problem...dormant? Lying in wait? Evidence was puzzling. 

• A large column test propagated 70 cm from the ground, under a 110 cm thick slab of hard snow. Ugh. 
• Debris from a large cornice fall left massive divots but did not trigger a slab that broke on deeply buroed weak layers. 
• We didn't get any collapses, though we might not have heard them over the wind.

The dense, wind-affected snow made for great riding and skiing conditions on sheltered slopes and lower-angled slopes that weren't under cornices or actively loading start zones.