Thompson circumnav

Lots of wind grooming on the valley floor from recent northerly winds. Thin slivers of high clouds may have slowed the warm-up for an hour or two in the AM. Walking along the moraine at noon, low angle solars were becoming moist, with wet snow on steeper solars. Things warmed up quickly in the early afternoon, I tried to tough it out but had to remove my long underwear at 1300. 

Meaty, surficial wet loose slides were easy to trigger on steep S at 1400. I would not have skied into profile if I couldn't make one. A natural wet loose cycle was kept at bay today by cold temps, a steady breeze, and the amount of previous wind transport. Lots of wind transport/stiffening/deposition from N/NE winds. These winds can do a real number on the couloir skiing in this area, there were obvious wind textures even in smaller, confined couloirs. I elected not to climb/ski steep N couloirs due to uncertainty involving extent of wind loading. 

Temps never warmed much in the true alpine, and I was forced to replace my long underwear at 1530 when I climbed into a cold, steady N/NE wind... I used to be way tougher  ;)  Crusts were crystallizing on all but WSW slopes on my exit from the field at 1830.

I traveled through lots of winded snow, occasionally observing small cracks and subtle collapses.