ya. i checked the snowpack on the flat gound after i got myself out of the runout debris and the pit showed about 6" of granular fluff, then a 4" crust layer, then about 8"-10" of more fluff. my partner, who rode down after it had slid said that there was a bunch of little rocks exposed and some grass. i could kinda see that after looking up at where it had slid, but it was kinda far away. it basically tore away and slid all the snow right down to the ground for most of the way. <BR> <BR>i'll be riding there again for sure, and i'm glad it slid now rather than when there's about 4'-6' ontop. i would've been buried for sure if there was that much snow. now it'll at least have a better base....it's cement now. the snowpack can start all over rebuilding itself, and hopefully we get some better consistency in the snow so it has better adhesion to the slope than what it had before. its kinda common sense, but i like to go out and check things out through the whole entire season to be aware of what's going on with the snowpack. it's a whole different ball game here when we have feet of snow to deal with and rely on the adhesion properties from layer to layer. <BR>the slope that slid on me was north facing, and we went over to the south facing slope to take a few turns. we dug 3 different pits on the hike up to see the changes in the snowpack, if any. it was fine on the other side all the way up except for the top 20' or so. wind coming over the ridge created a little crust even though there were trees all along the ridge. i'm gonna have to cut that slope at some point to try and make it go. anyway, on our hike back down we noticed a bootpack going right by the slope which had slid on me. the bootpack went 'straight up'. people who know how to travel safely in the bc know that this is not a good route to practice. especially after they see a slide about 50' away from where they are hiking up on the same slope. we looked a little closer, and yep, you guessed it. 4 people were coming down the slope that had slid. i couldn't believe what i was seeing. i stood there with my snowshoes ready. i though for sure it was going to slide on these people in another place on the slope. they had all luckily made it down safely. they had a little sluff slide, but no crust broke out on them. they were taking it easy and not cutting up the slope deep enough to cause a slab to break off. i had to say something to them though, so i asked them if they had gone 'straight up' that bootpack. yep. then i asked if they saw that slide and informed them that it took me out and slid me into those trees. they said " really? ya, we saw it. good job. we sent a bigger one down the other side." i just told them to be careful and take it easy. i don't like to be the nosey bc dick and point out the obvious, but some people don't know the seriousness of even little slide's like the one they had seen the debris of. even small slides are just as deadly as big ones. an avalanche is an avalanche. they're deadly. i hope those people take some avalanche courses and educate themselves a little bit because they obviously weren't aware of the necessary precautions to take, like if you see avalanche debris don't hike there and don't ride the same slope. kinda obvious. sh.t happens to the educated and experianced bc users as well though. without the knowledge and taking the necessary precautions you greatly encourage the unthinkable to happen. i was aware, but sh.t happens and a previous deposit of snow had developed a crust underneath the pow. it had snuck up on me and i had no time to react. av's are never planned though. they always just seem to 'sneak up' on you. <BR> <BR>ok. enough of my shpeel. i don't and don't claim to 'know it all' either. i just try to learn as much as i can and let people know my experiances and spread the knowledge i do have, and hopefully other people do the same so i can keep learning more and more and become a 'better' more respectable bc user. cheers. i need a drink.
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