Mt. Lola

Today was the first day of a SAC motorized Level 1 course, and we decided to go back to a location within Mt. Lola that we had been to a week earlier. This location was perfect for rescue practice and gave the instructor team an opportunity to observe changes from the week prior. Trail conditions were icy this morning and proved difficult to keep the machines cool on our way in. The affect of the sun, wind and warming trends over the last week became apparent as we left the trail and began to climb in elevation. Firm, melt freeze snow that resembled something more expected to be be seen in spring was wide spread in locations that had direct solar input, and was starting to form small sun cups where solar affect was most intense. On the other side of the spectrum, we found continued surface faceting and soft snow in the sheltered, shaded areas. This loose surface snow was confined to northerly aspects, protected from wind and in areas of less dense tree cover. Some of this loose snow was up to 12" deep in spots and snow grains were visibly bigger than from the week prior. On one test slope where we did a "track check" to observe layering, revealed mostly unconsolidated snow throughout the upper half of snowpack in that location. Large surface hoar growth was noted in certain meadows and in areas of high humidity, but was not observed on any slopes that would be steep enough to cause a problem when it decides to snow again. Overall we did find continued faceting in the upper parts of the snowpack on northerly aspects near and below treeline. On east and west aspects in the near treeline elevation band we found a mix of thin melt freeze surface crusts with loose uncohesive snow underneath. At the end of the day, we climbed to the summit of Mt. Lola, firm conditions with wind scoured ridge lines and old wind drifted snow were present and provided less than ideal travel conditions. Weather remained rather benign today with mostly overcast skies which kept temps cooler than expected and with low solar input. Afternoon surface melt was minimal in the areas we travelled. Winds were calm, and even at 9000' only a slight breeze was noted. Overall we did not observe any signs of instability today, and we were more concerned with firm surfaces, open creeks and sink holes. Good riding conditions still exist in sheltered terrain.

Quick report

Weather