Central Cascades

Avalanches will be unlikely on Tuesday.  Cool temperatures and partly cloudy skies will minimize how much melting occurs.  Even with low hazard, I'll be carrying avalanche rescue gear and using thoughtful travel techniques when riding steep slopes.

Today in Tumalo bowl the corn riding conditions were as good as they get.  Solid overnight refreezes and then periods of sunshine and above freezing temperatures are creating perfect melt-freeze cycles.  Cloud cover today and cooler temperatures meant that there wasn't enough melting to lead to Wet Loose avalanches, and shadier slopes up high may have even remained frozen.  I expect similar conditions tomorrow.

Of course after this last winter, our snow depths are pretty minimal.  It feels more like the end of May or mid-June than the end of April.  I had to walk and skin over dirt patches for the first hundred feet above Dutchman snow park.  This lack of snow down low is necessitating some creativity/flexibility when accessing the good riding up high.  Sneakers are a good idea if you are approaching from Pole Creek, mountain bikes are providing great access to some terrain that usually requires a sled (Cascade Lakes Hwy is currently plowed and gated).  Trail 7 seems to be just barely hanging in there, but might not be for long.