Gargoyles and Back

We skied out to the Gargoyles and did a lap of the Gargoyle / Columnar Col and off Paul Ridge on the way home. We saw old avalanche debris on the SW aspect of the Gargoyles and on the lower slopes of Columnar. We measured 145cm for snow depth at 1750m in the Col with a lot of variability in surface conditions along the way. See snowpack comments for surface conditions.

Snow surface conditions along the way: - hard/thick crusts on solar aspects in the trees (it seems like snow melt off the trees created hard crust) - thin and breakable crusts on solar aspects, more of a crust on steeper slopes vs mellow - Wind effect in open areas on the south / southwest slopes of the Gargoyles and Columnar but they still skied well in the afternoon. - Snow on the north aspects of Paul's was well preserved and skied very well. Light and powdery on a supportive base. The north winds were working those slopes as the day went on and we saw a lot of wind transport by the ski out.