Mt. Judah

Given today's weather forecast, we expected firm and windy conditions on Mt. Judah. As soon as we exited the car and stepped onto the snow, we knew our expectations would prove true. We could feel a thick (10cm) frozen crust on all the open slopes we moved across today, regardless of elevation or aspect. The crust fully supported our skis and also supported us whenever we stepped off our skis. It was not a sheet of ice, though, and we could still poke our poles through the crust into the wet snow lingering below it. This consistent snow surface provided loud, firm, and smooth travel conditions. Tonight's new snow will accumulate on top of these frozen crusts. We found less of a refreeze under the tree canopy. In those areas, the snow surface consisted of a mix of breakable crust and soft, wet snow.

The other expectation of windy weather came true when we got to the summit of Mt. Judah. Up to that point, the winds had remained moderate. They increased dramatically at the summit around 11 am. When we returned to the car, we noticed that the winds had also increased at the lower elevations.