All We Saw Was Crust In The Wind ?

We took advantage of blue bird skies and had a look around Morfee Mountain today. Recent rains have left an icy crust 1-4cm thick on all aspects right to the summit. Despite today’s strong winds, there is no snow blowing with such a tough cap on the snow. This crust is thinner below tree line where the snowpack is now almost entirely moist from rain and warm weather. Here we also saw lots of roller balls along the steep banks of the trail. These snail shells of snow can be a good indicator of wet instabilities. With lots of sun in the forecast, problems like loose wet or wet slabs will be on our mind at lower elevations and on slopes that get lots of sun. We also tracked down the surface hoar that was buried at the end of January in sheltered, treed areas near the cabin. This problem appears spotty in north and east faces at tree line and below. This will make it difficult to anticipate where it is a hazard. While the riding was terrible today, at least the amazing views made up for it!