Timberline

Conditions were fast, firm, and slick on Sunday morning. The solid overnight refreeze left a widespread boot/ski supportable crust at all elevations. These firm surfaces demanded ski or boot crampons above Palmer. Skiers coming off the upper mountain reported horrible ski conditions up high due to icy surfaces and chicken heads.  I didn't observe much for sun softening until I got below 7000 ft around noon. It was still too early to push any wet loose on south-facing test slopes at this point. However, there were some cornices trying to unglue along the Salmon River Canyon. There was plenty of evidence of recent shed, so I gave these chunks of snow a wider buffer than usual.

Isolated drifts of wind-blown snow existed within terrain depressions and lee features. These generally appeared too small to be an issue, but were worth noting for higher-elevation travel. While avalanche concerns were minimal today, the long sliding fall risk was real during the morning hours. After today, I can confidently say ski crampons won't leave my pack until new snow arrives later in the week.