Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>The only avalanche concerns were wind slabs deposited from the moderate northwest winds today depositing snow onto southerly and southeastern facing slopes. The snow felt slabby but I could not get it to crack or react. Still, I avoided the wind loaded slopes except along the ridgeline where the south facing (wind loaded) slopes were the safest option, I broke the trail up high through the scoured rocks instead of stepping onto the fresh wind drifts. </p>
A few photos for your viewing pleasure....
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p>Same comments in the Ref Flags section: The only avalanche concerns were wind slabs deposited from the moderate northwest winds today depositing snow onto southerly and southeastern facing slopes. The snow felt slabby but I could not get it to crack or react. Still, I avoided the wind loaded slopes except along the ridgeline where the south facing (wind loaded) slopes were the safest option, I broke the trail up high through the scoured rocks instead of stepping onto the fresh wind drifts. Once you drop down off the ridge you get out of the wind slabs pretty quickly. </p>
We had the place to ourselves. One of those wonderful days with just under a foot of fresh snow on a supportable base. As is often the case these days, the new snow was rimed, mixed with graupel and I would call it moderately dense powder but it was very good turning conditions. It was not upside down except in places with recent wind deposits, where it felt slabby. We took a couple runs on the north side into Shangrala and another on the south facing slopes back into Mill D. All aspects had supportable snow under the new snow but the south facing slopes had a stout sun crust underneath that carved nicely. Delightful day. Spruces parking lot not very full, which was surprising the day after a foot of new snow. But being Monday and after such a powder-filled January, things are finally starting to get less crazy. I love this time of year.