Telkwas

Cold day riding the Telkwas, -21 at the parking lot. 20 cm low density powder sitting on a firm crust (some places had a 2-3 mm freezing rain crust as well). Faceted, sugary snow below the crust(s) all the way down to a rock-hard ice crust that a probe could not penetrate (down 90 cm at tree line). Minimal wind effect in the alpine, just good riding powder on a firm base. We avoided any wind loaded aspects and suspect pockets of wind slab could be found just below sharp terrain breaks up at ridge crests.