Quick report
We woke up to 5” of wet snow at Bench Hut. As we climbed in elevation the morning total was 8”. It snowed on/off through the day but only 1-3” additional accumulation. We were most concerned with kicking off wet loose avalanches in terrain approaching 40*. The new snow came in pretty wet and heavy. It didn’t seem to be any lighter with changing to a colder aspect. Above 8200’, the old snow surface had a light freeze but was punchy underneath. The surface was rough, but the new, heavy snow slid fast in steeper terrain. We had to manage small sluff. The ridges didn’t have much wind loading but there was intermittent westerly gusts. Not too much transport.
Weather
- Wind Loading
- light
- Rain Elevation
- ~7,200’ “white rain” at hut level
- Recent Snowfall
- 9-10”
Avalanche
Small wet loose avalanche in steeper terrain