13 Jan - Hiyodori was on

Skied old faithful today. No big deal. But the snow was great with no suncrust from yesterday (why?) and up to 40cm of denser soft snow left from the last storm. Today's 'powder' was way faster than yesterday's genuine article, where I found the rapid settlement in the 50cm storm snow to make for slow grabby powder skiing at the lower altitude of 1300m. Today on Hiyodori I skied south aspects between 1600m and 1900m. Really really (really!) good tree skiing on linear 30-35 degree terrain with snow falling, no people around, stability (in my small zone) and good vis despite the closed in clouds.

Regarding wider stability: there was moderate winds at 1900m from the south creating windslab and cornices onto north aspects. Previously, north aspects had been scoured a little and snow had been moved onto south aspects. All up, there is a variable range of depths and distribution of soft as you get into tree line. Wind slab is the big thing I'd be on the look out for with plenty of snow for transport and plenty of winds spinning and twisting in a number of directions based on terrain. I saw some north aspects that were not been loaded due to the subtleties in terrain, whilst 100m away, sharper ridges were producing cornices and slab over on the north. Pick you lines carefully at tree line. I couldn't see the alpine, however I could hear the wind roaring up there. I'd say it is a bit of a mess.