The goal for the day was to actually get skis on snow. The day was not starting out promising. We hit the snooze alarm for nearly an hour. I thought that I had forgotten to pack my beacon. But we got up. And fortunately beacon/shovel/probe lives in my pack so it was there even if I couldn't find it for a while.
The avalanche report seemed promising but it was snowing and the wind blowing so we opted for a treed route for shelter. The route we chose was on the lee side of a ridgeline, which is usually more sketchy as far as avalanche conditions go but we'd be in trees and on fairly level terrain.
Despite our non-alpine start we were still the second party to start up the road with another party behind us. The party ahead was a group of snowshoers. We were able to use their track until we parted ways at the second switchback up Smith Brook Rd. They were headed to Union and Jove Peaks. We started up a creek, tried to stay to the right of it as the guidebook suggested but that route was too bouldery.
We crossed the creek and followed some level terrain up the drainage. We found ourselves kind of crowded against a very steep slope. Most of the snow that was going to fall off it had already fallen but then the whumpfing (snow layers collapsing, making a distinctive "whumpf" sound) began under our feet. Even though logically we were safe because we were in the trees, on fairly level terrain, the whumpfing rattled us. We crossed back toward the creek toward more open and level terrain, which changed as we started to climb toward the saddle. Whenever we crossed an open patch with any steepness, a crack would start. Back to the trees, which would be sketchy trying to ski back down. Finally we came to an open spot that had to be crossed. Randy went first while I stayed in the trees and watched. About halfway he stopped and looked back with very wide eyes. The wind was blowing so I didn't hear it but he had caused a whumpf that went all the way down to the bottom, which was approximately 30m.
At that point we decided to call it a day. Our terrain choices were becoming even more limited and we had experienced the warning signs of a potential avalanche for the last several hours. No need to push it. We hadn't started out with much of a goal except to get some exercise and explore a new area. That part had been accomplished. The rest of our mission was to get home in one piece.
As anticipated getting down was tricky. It wasn't really skiing per se, lots of backtracking, sidestepping down steep parts. The snow alternated between soft and skiable to hard and crusty. The soft parts would've been fun but there wasn't a run long enough nor safe enough. Toward the bottom we noticed that some snowshoers had used our track. Hope they stopped where we did or proved us wrong about the potential sketchiness of the situation. Here are a few pictures.
Oh my gosh, Corinna. No need for extreme skiing if it is going to cost you your life. Lots of avalanches this year I’ve heard. Having lost our outdoor ed instructors in Jan. 1997 in a backcountry skiing avalanche, I’m all for not fooling around with mother nature. Those guys were the best of the best prepared, too. The beacon helped find them but it was too late.
Your pictures, as usual, are tremendous. There have been several deaths this season in BC due to avalanches. I like your conservative and common sense approach to winter.