Timberline

After the recent accumulations of 2-4 inches, I was really hoping for improved travel on the south side. Unfortunately, high winds stripped much of the recent snow and left lots of scoured ice broken up my inconstent ribbons of drifted snow. We didn't tour much higher than Palmer, but ski/boot crampons would have been nessecary if we continued higher. Wind slabs generally appeared isolated and unreactive in the terrain we travled in today. While today warmed up, we couldn't get the recent accumulations to move on steep solar aspects around noon in the middle elevations. 

The snowpack is beaten up and variable on the south side of Mt. Hood. Recent accumulations have been heavily wind-affected thanks to high winds. As a result, a patchwork of drifted snow, scoured ice, or smoother melt-freeze surfaces exist across the terrain. The 3/25 crust was stout and boot/ski supportable at the elevations/aspects we traveled, even during the heat of the day on steep solar aspects. 

The surface is also becoming dirtier as the high pressure perists. The downwind sides of ridges in the canyon are often coated with a thin layer of dust thanks to high winds and melted out windward aspects.