Observation: Red Pine Gulch

Went up Red Pine thinking of high N White Baldy but ditched that idea when I saw it and it appeared wind hammered. Decided to give the NE-E facing Lake Shot a try, I was a little to early on my first run around10:00am and ended up skiing the run with a pliable melt-freeze crust which was a bit of work. Second run about an hour later was soft and consistent, but that was it, the sun this time of year leaves only a small window of good riding. We noted a few large wet loose slides off the E facing around noon, pretty predictable this time of year. The exit was a battle with suction cup snow slowing you to a stand still and some breakable crust in the shade to send you lurching.

Photos: wet activity on the E facing above the lake, wet activity on W facing at mid elevation, a wet slide on W facing that almost overran the summer trail, and the wet slide in Little Pine from yesterday

There was a little dense settled dry snow on the high N but between wind damage and the sun it was a rare commodity. All mid-elevation aspects where frozen up tight this morning as well as S,E and W up high. NE had a thin melt- freeze crust over settled powder which skied well when it softened not so much before it softened. By noon all aspects except high N were saturated.