Quick report
At upper elevations, the recent dense 4 inches of new snow provided fairly nice riding conditions. Winds calmed down before much of the snow fell, so fresh slab formation was isolated and didn't seem to cause too much concern where we traveled. The low-elevation terrain was punchy all day, making for delicate turns, but crusts remained intact and prevented any loose avalanche issues from popping up.
The Slate River Road is rapidly melting out, and access will close off to snowmobiles in the relatively near future...get it while you can.
Weather
- Cloud Cover
- overcast
- Wind Loading
- light
- Recent Snowfall
- 10
- Snow Avail For Transport
- small smounts
Light snowfall continued through midday. New snow up to 4 inches near and above treeline. Greenhousing throughout the day moistened the new snow. Winds remained light above treeline midday. Some evidence of transport from early in the morning, but generally minimal drifting.
Snowpack
At the lowest elevations, below 10,000 feet, the old crust was semi-supportable to skis with occasional trapdoor conditions. Above 10,000 feet, the old crust was supportable to skis and often boots with crusts in the alpine around 6 inches thick. The new snow moistened on all slopes except north slopes above 12,000 feet. The cloud cover kept any tiny Wet Loose avalanches at bay.
I hunted for fresh Wind Slab formation along an easterly alpine ridge and didn't encounter any significant cracking. There were a few inches of fresh snow along the ridgeline in most places, so it could transport if the wind increased. We did not encounter any avalanche issues during our travels.