Glacier Crest

<p>Interesting day on Glacier Crest Moderate to heavy snow BTL. 40-45cm of HST. As we emerged into an alpine bench, we performed a couple of hand shear tests resulting in easy planar releases on the buried solar crust (45-50cm down) from the previous clear weather pattern. Soft slab properties were felt above 2100m close to ridgetop with local cracking around our skis. There was a clear wind lip formed by NE winds (reverse loading) across the entire "crest" as well as some wind loading (1m+) on the NW and W aspects. By noon, the sun had broken out for about an hour and baked the steep, W slope. On this specific aspect, the surface snow was wet down 30+cm and showing signs of moderate slab properties. We backed off and skied the NE pillows through heavy snow. Slow, powerful sluff on the descent.</p>

Avalanche Conditions

30cm + of new snow, or significant drifting, or rain in the last 48 hours.

Rapid temperature rise to near zero degrees or wet surface snow.

Snow Conditions

Deep powder, Heavy.

Weather Conditions

Cloudy, Stormy, Warm.