Goats and Confetti

Today we saw lots of signs that recent warming has affected the conditions at Renshaw. There were several cornices collapses in the past 24-48hrs, with a few pulling out slabs on the slopes below. We also noted a small slab that had ripped out in a shallow, rocky transition on a south facing slope. We dug here and found wind slab sitting over layers of sugary crystals ranging from smaller facets to large depth hoar(pictured) These persistent problems are most common in thin areas on windward slopes where they are more likely to be reactive to triggers. While warming is one of our big concerns this time of year, today’s cloud cover and strong winds kept the snowpack cool. With this in mind, we took the opportunity to explore some complex avalanche terrain. The riding wasn’t the greatest of all time, but it was easy traveling and we covered a lot of ground. We even found an goat relaxing in the cliffs!