Quick report
Hiked up into Maid of the Mist Basin (there was not enough snow to skin in until about the Maid of the Mist Pass). Below treeline the snowpack was completely isothermic and was easily punched through to dirt. Above treeline was a different story, there was a consistent ~65-80 cm deep snowpack with a ~5 cm crust above a very thick layer of faceting rounds. While skinning up this crust would crack and break under body weight, but no propagation occurred. When we gained the main basin we noticed evidence of two natural avalanches (unsure of age) one from a cornice fall, and one crown (both D1 R1) pictured below, crust thickened as we got closer to the ridgeline and became firmer and less prone to breakage the higher we got. Evidence of windloading was visible along the ridgeline and cornices are starting to form.
Avalanche
- Size
- D1 R1
- Type
- HS
- Aspect
- NE
- Trigger
- N
- Elevation
- 9800 ft
Observer: When we gained the main basin we noticed evidence of two natural avalanches (unsure of age) one from a cornice fall, and one crown (both D1 R1) pictured below, crust thickened as we got closer to the ridgeline and became firmer and less prone to breakage the higher we got. Evidence of windloading was visible along the ridgeline and cornices are starting to form.