Garden Wall

Teamed up with USGS to check out conditions on and above Going-to-the-Sun Road in Glacier National Park:

• Warm temperatures over the weekend caused several large to very large glide avalanches.
• Recent small loose wet was also observed on some upper-elevation slopes facing north and northeast.
• Cold overnight temperatures made for a decent refreeze.  We had mostly supportable travel on a 2 inch surface crust. 
• The crust became stronger and slicker with increasing elevation. Crampons were necessary and a slip would have been unpleasant. 
• Cloudy skies, westerly winds, and an early descent did not allow for full-on corn skiing.  We did have firm but pleasingly edgeable riding between 7500' and 6500'.
• Below 6000', the snow surface was unspportable by noon.

The road crew were working to clear Big Bend, where snow depths of 20 to 25 feet were approximated on the road.

5 cm melt freeze crust on top of wet snow (to ground).  Crust stronger and slicker with increasing elevation.