12 April 08

 The couloir as viewed from Yari ga Take.

Went up for some Happo backcountry in Hakuba with Dan. It was a straightforward day hiking a few hours to the ridge junction with the main range. The weather was a bit warm low down, but low clouds kept the snow cold and stopped what would have been a horrendous day of natural release single point avalanches. Had the sun come out and hit the rocks, all the new snow 20-30cm up high) would have almost instantly slid off the rocks and old corn snow bed surface. It was a good day in all, and pretty well executed under the conditions. The above pictures were taken earlier in the season other vantage points.

Visibility was pretty poor when we dropped into the couloir (400m vert at average angle of 40 degrees). However as anticipated, after a little way down we broke through the bottom of the cloud bed and had good riding conditions in surprisingly deep new snow. It was quite heavy, but certainly soft. As we rode the new snow was incapable of holding its very week bond with the icy corn base, which thankfully was not isothermal itself). The whole descent was accompanied by a water like and at times raging river of fresh snow sluff down the middle line of the couloir, leaving a rutted icy base. We mostly rode the centre line then veered off to the side of the chute to let the sluff race by, then rode teh side lines with our sluff tending towards the centre. It was a very enjoyable descent, a great spring day out with the benefit of a safe cooling cloud cover and new snow.

The long (2.5km, 20-30 degree) run down the karamatsu snow field was not so great skiing in very sticky isothermal mush. Not much natural avalanche activity from the feeder cliffs and chutes since the rocks remained sheltered from the sun, a blessing when we reached the short but quit dire waterfall gully.

It was my first time riding with Dan and it was great to share teh stoke with him.