Poor stability yesterday and today after a graupel storm followed by rapid heavy loading with sleet/wet snow... all on a suncrust (formed on 27 Jan) on southerly aspects and possible surface hoar on northerly aspects. And if no SH, the northerly aspects were sliding within the graupal anyway. We could trigger test slope slides at will yesterday, every slope we tried that was over 35 degrees, like childs play. This was at 1700m behind Tsugaike with similar reports from around 1500m in Happo. We also noticed potential to step-down deeper to the rain crust from 21 Jan, which has slowly been weakening and producing shears.

With today's storm putting sown probably 30 or more cm onto yesterdays 25cm instability I think we have a really dangerous weekend ahead of us.

Reports here
http://steepdeepjapan.com/diary/hakuba-weather-data-20100129

The boys that went out yesterday said that anything they touched created a spoint release.
This was at 1000 meters in and around the cat tracks of saka. My advice to the lodge was this,
if you ski over top of your buddy today there is a good chance to hurt him.

On another note HAC I sometimes worry about how ACT reports there avie conditions.
tuesday saw a high rating you turning back then the next day it leaps back down to stable
moderate. I know we have a pack that tends to bond well but the report to me shouldnt be
jumping around. It total confuses people and people second guess the report.

I have no input to ACT at all. I hold the same opinion as you, and others have commented on it as well.

Sorry I thought you mighthave someones ear thats all.

Well… ironically… a today revealed a rapid improvement in stability by this afternoon, at least relative to the peak in mid-storm instability yesterday. We still saw a size 2 natural today, but compression tests are no longer producing shears in the graupel, whilst yesterday they were easy. Plus all the aspects and angles that produced skier intentional avalanches were today silent. The quality of new powder behind Tsugaike is seriously very good as well. I still wouldn't push anything steep or unsupported though. This is not a professional forecast, I’m just sharing what I saw.

A large skier triggered avalanche has been reported on Happo's north side today in Oshidashi. No one buried, happened during a traverse. Crown wall 80-150cm deep, sliding surface the melt freeze crust from Jan 28.

Ths is a significant event. Backcountry skiers should take serious note.

Same thing on the south side(south facing) of happo today just below reisen. Ski cut/traverse triggered upto a meter in size. Down to that same layer. Lots of wind loading and snow over there.

Thanks for the info.

Doesn't happen very often: the well known slide path on the south face of Hiyodori above Tsugaike ran full length in the last two days. It even knocked over a tree that looked to be about 50 years old.

Also a big one in Gara Gara - size 3 right across one of the more popular entry areas. Heaps of size 2’s in NE chutes behind Skyline.

This last storm produced one of the biggest avalanche cycles in a few seasons.

wow. thanks HAG. use your noggins up there team.

I tell you what surprised me is that I didn't see anyone going into those faces on Sunday. I was skiing resort but it was sunny so I took a look into the north faces and was surprised to see not one track in. We all know it would have been dicy to go in but that doesn't usually stop the average punter. Maybe it was the wind.

The unconsolidated storm snow at about 2200m yesterday didn't stick so well to the crust and we were able to trigger small but wide propagating thin soft slabs on specific convex rolls.

Keep it in mind if you are heading into bigger terrain, with big slide path and/or terrain traps.