Quick report
- Collapsing
- specific
Personal outing to learn how the bigger mts were faring. Mixed bag of surface conditions with wind scoured/ice above Cascade Pass TH towards the pass. Dry snow on north aspects except for wind scoured slope above TH. Dry snow on south aspects above 6500. Skinned from Cascade Pass TH with some alder dancing. Felt like May coverage down low. Of note was the surprising facet layer down 25cm above a crust on north aspects. This had us abort a route that would put us in unfamiliar complex north facing terrain. Consolation prize of sunny pow turns down Sahale was an easy choice. Good news is coverage is real good up high. Consistent easy sudden shears in hand tests on a facet layer down 20-25cm on north aspects.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- clear
- Wind Loading
- light
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Moderate winds with strong gusts coming down Cascade Pass in the morning (easterly flow). Calm elsewhere with clear skies.
Snowpack
Northerlies: ~15cm of dry snow over recent Feb 7 crust. No signs of instabilities on this upper crust with greater concern on a facet layer above next crust down ~25cm. No signs of avalanches or whoomphing on this layer of concern but it consistently failed with sudden results in hand tests. Observed more wind loading over it on NE aspects with less on NW. Southerlies: Up to 15cm of new snow on Feb 7 crust. No signs of deeper facet layer observed on north aspects. Above 6500’ snow stayed dry. Solar affected below 6500. Hs varied finding ~260cm at 6200’ on Sahale Arm but also scoured down near surface in isolated high points on Sahale Arm.