Quick report
- Cracking
- isolated
- Collapsing
- specific
Toured up to Kantellum Ridge, up the west face through the trees. It was super low clouds and snowing pretty hard (~3"-4" throughout the day), with the temperatures some number below freezing. The top few inches qualify as 'blower' snow for sure. What was a surface crust on Saturday is hard to find in many places. Hasty pits showed a couple weak layers in the top foot with the weakest layer down in the 2-foot range. All F/4F snow. No cracking or noise until I was near the ridge at about 6600'. Touring to 6800' on the ridge I got a few very loud whumphs. The snow was stiffer and more consolidated on and near the ridge. With nearly 30" since the start of the month the snow is awesome. The sluff off of turns went flying by as I made my next turn, as the snow is so light. Caution is still definitely in order, but I did sneak onto some steeper pitches (with escape routes), which skied fine. All my runs were on northerly aspects off of West facing finger ridges where deeper sheltered snow was to be found. I could not pull the trigger (nor did I need to) on the big open faces (any aspect) or the east facing slopes which are all into the 30+ degree range. Always another day for those...