Started the day up Cornbiscuit. Noticed intact surface hoar through the trees
and well above the alders going up the west face.
Skied our first run down the south face pretty far back through a steep section
dropping in just below where the south face ridge line gets really rocky through
a rocky section that was about mid-slope. There was significant sloughing over
the steeper rolls and through the steep, rocky section.
Skinned further up valley and broke a trail up south face Cornbiscuit where it’s
mellower. Ended up stopping about 100′ below the ridgeline in an area with
quite variable snow and a lot of scattered windslabs. The alarm sounded off in
this area that was heavily wind affected when I got a significant whoomph and
crack above me. Tried to go down a bit and work back up another way but got a
second less scary whoomph and crack, but enough to stop us.
We then dropped in east facing Cornbiscuit to Goldpan without issue. Skied back
up to Superbowl pass and turned right to the high point. Dropped into Superbowl
from there and skied out.
People seemed to really be getting after it and the snowpack, for the most part,
seemed to be responding well. However, from my experience with the whoomphing
and cracking on Cornbiscuit there are definitely some anomalies out there and
things to look out for besides just sloughing.