Quick report
We optimistically committed to our goal of reaching a mid-elevation crown despite the forecast for gusty winds:
-We were lured into the basin by decent visibility, light westerly winds and light blowing snow.
- Winds increased to moderate, visibility rapidly deteriorated and we were hit by an extreme gust that stopped us in our tracks at 1100hrs.
-We dug a pit and found mixed results in our tests as we waited to see if the gust was an anomaly.
-It became clear that strong-extreme gusts and the resulting whiteouts were becoming the norm, so we abandoned our goal and made an early retreat.
-Wind-drifted snow was becoming sensitive during our exit: We were able to trigger table-sized slabs 3-4 inches deep.
Media to follow
Minor cracking in wind-drifted snow during our early exit.Weather
- Cloud Cover
- broken
- Wind Loading
- intense
- Recent Snowfall
- 2
- Snow Avail For Transport
- large amounts
Light snow and increasing westerly winds throughout the morning with gusts strong to extreme.
Snowpack
Pit at 4500' SE aspect: HS = 165 cm, ECTN18 down 55 cm on facets below mid-January crust. PST 30/100 (End) on same layer.
Avalanche
No recent avalanches