Observation: Wolf Creek Pass

Good riding and skiing can still be found despite variable conditions around the Wolf Creek Pass area - you just have to poke around a bit more. Northerly aspects holding cold, older, sheltered snow are becoming weaker and increasingly susceptible to dry loose avalanches initiated by the weight of a rider or skier on slopes steep enough to gouge and run. While I did not travel in terrain affected by recent wind loading, shallow wind slabs are likely lingering at upper elevations, particularly in exposed areas with sufficient fetch which have likely formed on a variety of poor, old snow surfaces.

A story as tired as our weakening snowpack. Exposed terrain features lacking canopy cover, along with ridgelines and slopes generally tilted toward the sun, hold a mixed bag of variable wind board, redeposited rime, and melt-freeze crusts - most prevalent at lower elevations. Recent snowfall and redistribution have targeted these sun- and wind-affected surfaces.

At mid elevations, N-NE-E aspects extending well into lower elevations are almost entirely faceted, offering little support under the weight of a rider on steeper slopes. Exposed NW aspects were observed to have been scoured back to older, stiff snow surfaces due to recent wind direction and speeds.