Snoqualmie Pass

The avalanche conditions are generally safe, but the travel conditions are anything but. Expect a combination of supportable and breakable crusts in open areas, refrozen tree bombs in the trees, and perhaps some lingering soft snow on steep north aspects. Travel below treeline off a well-worn path is slow and challenging, and the descent is downright dangerous. Though it's unlikely, it's not impossible to trigger a hard wind slab avalanche on steep and extreme north-facing slopes without a surface crust. 

Well, folks, we go so you don't have to. On Thursday, we took to the hills of the Alpental Valley, and pretty quickly, we wondered why we did. There is no way to sugar coat how poor the travel conditions are on almost all aspects and elevations. The weak system that passed over on Thursday did nothing to help those conditions as there was no measurable accumulation of snow. Expect coral reefs (refrozen tree bombs) interspersed with breakable crusts on most slopes on Friday. Many mid and low elevation creeks are wide open and often impassable, adding to the hazard. While the up is slow, the down is dangerous. Injury is a very real possibility, especially if you must descend in the forest with no pre-existing track to get you down. Even benign looking slopes can be dangerous when the surfaces are this variable. Despite sunshine on Friday, don't expect much change in these conditions. Steep south-facing terrain may soften a bit, but low sun angles and continued cold won't allow for much improvement. Factor in extra time into your tour plan for both the up and the down. 

We did find soft snow on a steep north-facing slope at 5000' on Thursday. Large column tests did not propagate and there were no obvious signs of instability while traveling. The 1/10 is down there, but it is strengthening. If you go hunting for soft snow on Friday, you could be in the only type of terrain where a potential avalanche could still lurk. Steep, extreme, and confined north-facing slopes (e.g., gullies, couloirs, chutes) could still be harboring an old and thick slab that could break 1-2 feet deep on soft snow above the 1/10 crust. These types of slopes carry major consequences if a slide knocks you off your feet. An avalanche would be unlikely, but it's not out of the question. If you are set on finding steep and soft snow, consider that north-facing planar, supported, and non-confined slopes are unlikely to have instabilities. Remember that even though avalanche conditions are generally safe, you should always practice safe travel techniques and only expose one person at time on any sustained slope over 35 degrees. 

It's going to be dry for a while and we are going to need a good snowfall to improve travel conditions at the Pass.  Do a snow dance!