Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
Skied on mostly N, NE, and E aspects between Mt Agassiz and Pyramid Peak. The day was mostly defined by the wind, blowing predominantly S (though swirling at and near ridgelines) calm to 5mph, gusting 20mph, increasing throughout the day to 5-20mph, gusting 30-50mph. Along typically wind loaded ridges, active transport was prevalent and large cornices had formed, though cutting these cornices produced unremarkable results and windslabs below these cornices on N and E aspects were non existent or non reactive. The S wind meant that wind was generally perpendicular to E slopes on which it was easy to see periodic wind slabs forming parallel to the fall line. N slopes were generally more sheltered until 1 pm when the winds became stronger. In places with favorable fetch, the skin track would fill in near instantaneously. Aspects with any S-erly component or which where significantly lower angle than surrounding terrain were typically scoured down to a firm, edgeable crust. On a steep NE aspect near 9,300' below Pk 9686, the wind slab fractured while cutting trail at a switchback, down to the previous trail, creating cracks up to 15' long but not propagating any further. No obvious signs of recent avalanche activity.