Thar Peak - Jan 3, 2011

words and photos by Sharon Bader and Lee Lau unless otherwise noted.

Changing it up a bit from touring and skiing near the resorts, Sharon, Ewen and I headed out to Thar Peak in the Coquihalla. Unfortunately the artic outflow winds have played havoc with the snowpack and we found wind-slab on all manner of aspects above treeline (particularly the aspects we skied off Thar Peak proper and the Yak-Thar col including the zone heading down to the lake - W, SW, N and NE aspects - basically all aspects - you get the idea).

Unfortunately S and SE aspects are also sun-affected and had solar melt-freeze crust). Regardless snow stability is fine. We managed to salvage the day by lapping a NE facing slope below tree line.

Notes - windslab persistent on many aspects. Temps - 5 to -2. Skies initially overcast then clear. Winds light from the NE. On SE slope at 1800m HS 250m without much in the way of layering to report even up to 150cms down. Minor pinwheeling on solar aspects. Snow quality better on N, NE aspects btl