Quick report
Took advantage of the lull in the winds and nice evening light to make a trip to the pass and conduct a couple of brief UAS flights. The mid-December light was a welcome respite from a long weekend of relentless gales. An elevated vantage didn't reveal much we didn't already know or expect, but was helpful nonetheless.
- Many aspects have been stripped in hectic and irregular ways.
- What snow didn't sublimate is packed into thin gullies and micro-terrain features. Some broader distribution exists in sheltered, upper elevation valleys.
- The southern end, or front side of the range, took the brunt of the wind, with many aspects completely scoured down to a summer surface.
Between the recent wind, the cold, and the lack of snow, conditions are feeling pretty metal in the southern Talkeetnas. Exposed rock, firm snow, and darkness are dominant. I'm not trying to be gloomy, but realistic. If you're hoping for a good season, it's time to start making your own luck.
Will let the pictures speak for themselves today.
Weather
- Air Temp
- Low teens
- Cloud Cover
- few
- Snow Avail For Transport
- none
Winds diminished throughout the day and were calm to light from the north during my time at the pass. Temps were in the low teens and cloud cover was few to scattered. Beautiful sunset.
Avalanche
Observed one small human-triggered avalanche on the lower flanks of Marmot below the Lodge Run. Looks to have been triggered by a party on foot hiking up the butresses to the climbers left of the Lodge run to summit Marmot.