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We skied up the Crowfoot Glacier to access the Crowfoot sub peak today. Heavy trail breaking through 40cm of storm snow that the area received over the last 3 days made for slow going. There was 240cm of snow on the toe of the glacier, and the Nov crust was very noticeable with the probe at 220cm. The temperatures were hovering just below zero all day.
Being hyper aware that South aspects are touchy at the moment, we skied into the bowl via the ridge with a healthy margin to the south facing slope to our left. Sure enough, it avalanche remotely about 10 metres away from one of the skiers. 50m wide, 40 to 130cm deep, and 75m long. We didn't want to access the bed surface to confirm a sun crust, but it was likely just that. With the strong wind event on Wednesday, the thick fracture in the immediate lee of the ridge was not surprising.
Ski quality was good. Have a safe weekend.
Aaron Beardmore
Mountain Guide