Quick report
- Red Flags
- Wind Loading, Rapid Warming
- Red Flags Comment
- <p>Previous skin tracks were filled in from wind transport as there is still cold soft snow at upper elevations. Windrifts and cornices present along the Tuk ridge line. Evidence of loose/wet slides and rollerballs from previous days was all around on aspects with solar gain, greater on westerlies. </p>
Looking down into Middle Cirque. South facing aspects from the Laurel Highway is getting very thin and lots of previous loose/wet activity on W facing terrain around the cirque. Excellent turning conditions along with some previous loose/wet activity on more E facing terrain.
A look at Tuk from the Laurel Highway as well as Tuk No/Gravel Pit Lanes during the exit into Gold Basin
Snowpack
- Instability Comment
- <p> Wet snow from daytime warming. Watch out for sings of rapid warming which will be greater over the next few days as temps rise. </p> <p> While many people have been getting out and on all kinds of aspects and various elevations, the PWL could still be lurking below in the right spots as we had a very poor snowpack structure all year. The warmup a few weeks ago followed by the cooling trend + snow helped lock things in, but that doesn't mean it does not exist </p>
Following descending into Talking Moutnain Cirque, I rode to the base of Middle Snow Cirque and began to climb towards Tuk around 1100. The snow below the cirque near tree line at this time was soft and damp but not saturated or showing any red flags. Above treeline in the cirque and on the ascent the snow was cold, medium density powder. Old skin tracks were filled in by wind transport. I did not make it to the summit as I previously set descent time of 1200 at the latest, but Im sure snow was equally as good in the upper portions. I did not notice any red flags at 1200 so I do believe it could have been extended to 1300/1400, but use your best judgment. The track out to Gold Basin was damp but not yet gloping to skins or allowing for deep penetration into the snowpack.