Andesite Peak

When we started up Andesite Peak, we caused cracking about 12 to 16 inches deep in the snow around our skis every time we stepped off the skin track. These cracks and the feeling of more dense snow on lighter snow confirmed that storm slabs would be a problem today. The first test slopes we came to did not produce storm slabs because our skis sank right through the soft slabs. Still, we felt the new snow getting more dense as we continued up the peak. When we got into more open terrain, we saw small cornices and wind-drifted snow formed by the SE winds on W-facing slopes. We stepped on some of these wind-loaded test slopes, which triggered some cracking and collapsing. The new snow had also gotten more dense, and ski kicks from low-angle terrain above slopes started storm slab avalanches (see avalanche section).

On our way out, we stopped by some of the slopes we had visited earlier. Now that more dense snow had accumulated on top of them, we tried kicking them again. Those kicks triggered more storm slab avalanches. 

In summary, we found upside-down layering in the snowpack. We found SE winds transporting snow and forming cornices and wind slabs. We initiated several storm slab avalanches from lower-angle spots above the slopes. As we traveled, we stayed on slopes less steep than 30°.

We triggered several storm slab avalanches with ski kicks or ski cuts (see avalanche section for details). Cracks opened around our skis with almost every step. The cracks and avalanches failed at the interface between today's higher-density snow and the lower-density snow below it. We also triggered a few collapses on wind-loaded W-facing slopes on the upper part of Andesite Peak.