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Sun Burns & Corn Turns

Submitted by
AvCan Vancouver Island
Observations date
Friday, April 4, 2025
Location
49.666230° N 125.385490° W
Reporting on
  • Snow conditions
Map for Mountain Information Network report: Sun Burns & Corn Turns

Snow conditions

Riding quality was:
Good
Snow conditions were:
  • Crusty
  • Wet
We rode:
  • Sunny slopes

Information

The day was:
  • Sunny
  • Warm
Avalanche conditions
  • Rapid temperature rise to near or above 0°C or wet surface snow.

Comments

A gorgeous sunny day at Castlecrag with great "corn skiing" in the afternoon. The snowline for staging was just past 12 km on the East Fork Main. Starting out, it was quite crusty, and ski crampons felt necessary for travel. The 10 to 20 cm thick crust capping the snowpack boosted our confidence in the low avalanche danger rating.

By the afternoon, the crust had melted out enough on sunny slopes to make for some great skiing. We saw no recent avalanches aside from a couple of small loose wet sluffs down in the cutblock that we suspect happened yesterday afternoon.

Great corn skiing on sunny slopes in the afternoon.
Great corn skiing on sunny slopes in the afternoon.
A dusting of 1-5cm of dry snow overlaying a thick supportive crust can still be found on some upper elevation direct north facing slopes.
A dusting of 1-5cm of dry snow overlaying a thick supportive crust can still be found on some upper elevation direct north facing slopes.
Rain runnels after the last big rain event.
Rain runnels after the last big rain event.
A couple of small loose wet avalanches in teh cutblock, likely from yesterday afternoon.
A couple of small loose wet avalanches in teh cutblock, likely from yesterday afternoon.
The crust is thick and hard when temps are cool in the morning.
The crust is thick and hard when temps are cool in the morning.