Quick report
Left the rat race and headed to Christmas Tree Bowl. Departed the Hyak lot around 9am and got to the top of Xmas Tree in about 1:30. Datum says the temp was 4°F, real feel was -11°F, which seems dramatic until making the road switchbacks where the wind blasted straight in your face from the East. Water froze in my pack on the climb. Unconsolidated for the most part but did get a sudden - and surprising, shear at the 40cm crust, unsure what crust this was with the wind distribution in the trees. CTE-2-Q1-NE-4100'. No activity on basically a straight run down the bowl falling skiers left aside from surface sluff catching me a couple times. Massive, 2-3cm, hoarfrost was growing in the stream beds during the climb and was quite beautiful during investigation!