Wind Worked Up High, Sheltered Is Better

We took a quick tour of Gorman Saturday morning and found widespread wind damage in the alpine. The upside is that above roughly 2100 m, strong winds have blown away the surface hoar in this part of the Dogtooths. The downside is that riding quality has taken a hit. Soft alpine snow still exists, but it took some searching. Below 2100 m, especially in wind-protected terrain, surface hoar remains loud and proud on the crust. The sun burned off the valley cloud today, making for excellent visibility. Travel conditions remain good, with the best riding found in sheltered, treed areas. We observed two Size 2 Wind Slab avalanches on an east-facing slope that appear to have released within the last 24–72 hours. A good reminder that low avalanche danger does not mean, no avalanche danger. Enjoy the sunshine out there and travel thoughtfully this weekend.