Avenues snow

The urban-ski terrain interface, 29 Nov 2010

Over the years I've enjoyed a number of tours in the Avenues Foothills.  Most of the aspects that you see from town are baked quickly by the sun, but there are a few short shots that drop into City Creek canyon that can be quite good.

Stoked by the recent snowfall, we did a quick tour yesterday after work.  I debated which skis to grab, but fortuitously went with the old tele gear.  Although this latest snowstorm was impressive (16" in the upper aves), most of the snow was low density and fell on a meager base.  As a result, one could "feel the bottom" on many turns.  It is always odd to feel the powder waffing up your thighs while your skis feel like they are dragging across sandpaper.

Mother nature never ceases to surprise and remarkably just a short distance from the cul-de-sac at the top of Terrace Hills we found this small natural wet-slab avalanche on a wind-loaded southeast exposure.

A good reminder that proximity does not equal safety.