Avalanche: Turnagain

On Saturday, April 25th, we left the Tincan Parking Lot headed for Kickstep. After a short skin up Tincan trees we traversed into the Tincan Creek Drainage. Reaching the drainage, a large snow plume was visible off the summit of Kickstep loading the S face. But, we continued hoping that the wind loading might not affect the NW face that we intended to ski. However, reaching the pocket glacier, significant wind loading was visible on the NW face. An ECTP test at 4,000 feet on an N aspect that was largely protected from wind loading produced an energetic and clean failure 18 inches down at 24 taps. Given the ongoing wind loading above us and the consequences of the face we skied from the flanks of Kickstep before heading for the chutes and couloirs near Tincan Peak. On our first run near Tincan Peak, the 6th rider on the slope triggered a small slab pocket in the apron on an N aspect that was approximately 20 feet wide and ran 250 feet. Our next run was on another N facing chute in the area. Windloading of N facing terrain was ongoing in the area, so we cut a large cornice on our run which did not produce any results. On the egress out the drainage no new wet slides were observed, but in places warm and wet snow in the valley floor was not supportable.