[MCR] Observation Sub-Peak, Banff Park April 3

[Public Mountain Conditions Report]

Skied up the highway side of Observation Sub-Peak today with fellow ski guide Ken Bibby and a group of university students.  
Broken clouds and convective snow flurries kept the temperature around -2.  There was a moderate northwest wind transporting snow across the summit ridge.  
We skied down via the south facing bowl off the summit, into the drainage known locally as Jimmy Simpson Creek.
Ken skied over to assess the open south east facing slope below the summit, at about 2850m.  He found 40 cm of soft slab on a buried sun crust.  As he was skiing back towards the group and reporting that the stability was suspect, a 20 - 60 cm deep fracture released 15 metres behind him.  It was 75 m wide and ran 250+ m on the buried sun crust.
We were able to safely descend the south facing slope adjacent to the avalanche on a stiff surface of sun crust (so no slab avalanche danger).  

Jordy Shepherd
Mountain Guide

Ken Bibby
Ski Guide