Bomber

Got sandbagged into an afternoon lap on the Bomber. 11:45am start from the Mint Lot and skies were overcast but the light was strong enough to give good definition up the Valley. Crusty but supportable snow made for quick and easy travel to the Mint Hut. Bootpacking up to Backdoor Gap was not ideal, with foot pen ranging from 1-30cm every other step. It was still maybe better than skinning on that aspect but the experience was enough that skis and lower-angeled skin tracks were the norm for the rest of the day. Turns on Pennyroyal were pretty decent for the conditions and 65 mm-waisted skis. The glide to the Bomber Hut and Bartholf Creek was fast and easy, and the skin to Snowbird Hut the same. Conditions deteriorated after leaving Snowbird, with skies becoming obscured and light snow falling. The front side of the range was socked in and the descent from Glacier Pass back to the Mint Lot was pretty much all in the clouds and done by gratefully handrailing a skin track. Returned to the Mint Lot around 7pm to light rain and descended to a feast at Turners. 

Upper elevations and northerly aspects have much less crust than southerly aspects and areas closer to the forecast area or IM Bowl. This could be due to a number of things including warmer temps at lower elevations and generally less sun exposure on aspects we traveled through. Throughout the tour, I found a pretty uniform inch or so of new snow. There were some areas of light drifting and a few small, isolated, thin (1-3cm) wind slabs in areas around Backdoor Gap, Pennyroyal, and Snowbird Glaciers. Overall the new snow was uniform enough and underlying crusts were supportable to make smooth, enjoyable turns. The descent from Glacier Pass through Reed Lakes was firmer and icier than anything experienced throughout the day. Below the elevation of Archangel Trail the snow was soft and corn-like, whether from the humid greenhousing or some light rain, it was a welcome finish to the day.