Alpental Valley, NE side - snow conditions only
2/15/09
WA Snoqualmie Pass
2320
2
Today was a field day for an avy course I'm taking, so I have only a few interesting snowpack observations over the course of a dozen pits dug between beacon basin and Mushroom, below Source Lake.
Open slopes that have received yesterday's sun have (at least in the valley) a 1/2" to 1" pencil sun crust on top of a thin layer of new snow, then another 1" crust (warming on the 25th?), above 6" of 4 finger. Below that is another pencil crust (warming on the 24th?) with wet small rounds below it, above the older snow.
The small rounds layer (10-12" down total) released all day with a Q1 shear when cutting the back of the column. Deeper layers released fairly easily with some pull, but that upper foot is definitely the most significant right now, I think.
Snow quality in the shade was quite nice, with 4-6" of fairly light powder in the trees and on the valley's SW side. Were I hunting snow tomorrow, I'd lay good money on shaded aspects having some excellent skiing. I'll bet the small rounds layer isn't as reactive higher up, or on more protected slopes, but we never got higher than 3600 today.
Open slopes that have received yesterday's sun have (at least in the valley) a 1/2" to 1" pencil sun crust on top of a thin layer of new snow, then another 1" crust (warming on the 25th?), above 6" of 4 finger. Below that is another pencil crust (warming on the 24th?) with wet small rounds below it, above the older snow.
The small rounds layer (10-12" down total) released all day with a Q1 shear when cutting the back of the column. Deeper layers released fairly easily with some pull, but that upper foot is definitely the most significant right now, I think.
Snow quality in the shade was quite nice, with 4-6" of fairly light powder in the trees and on the valley's SW side. Were I hunting snow tomorrow, I'd lay good money on shaded aspects having some excellent skiing. I'll bet the small rounds layer isn't as reactive higher up, or on more protected slopes, but we never got higher than 3600 today.
Thanks Marcus
Thought I’d comment here on ski conditions in the bc…
Big crowds in the Alpental bc today (Feb 28) by way of upper gate GS traverse. Wanting to earn-my-turns, I skinned out of the upper parking (full) lot about 2pm, temp low 40 deg, light cloud cover. Ascend via the main Source Lake drainage (skiers left, thru trees) to GS bowl. Packed powder in drainage, pretty tracked out to my surprise. Upper bowl (North aspect) nice pow (wind deposit) as expected, lots of ski tracks from the Alp (slackcountry) crowd, but still much to be had. No time to dig pit, but never noticed anything alarming (eg whoomping); the warming temps perhaps helping to stabilize. Up at the saddle (and Pinapple Pass), good amount of wind deposit but pretty stable, not really corniced.
Ski down was nice, kept skiers left, trying to find untracked pow (under Hemlock & Bryant Peaks). Approaching Source Lake basin, traversed left, put skins back on and climbed up in direction of Chair Peak, E to SE aspect, as I climbed higher noticed snow had turned to pretty nasty breakable crust. This was about 5pm, getting cooler (low 30 deg) and wind picking up. SE aspect had that nasty crust (makes sense, early sun melt then late re-freeze?), as soon as I traversed back to a NE aspect, I found pow again, take that hint (yep Marcus is right... shaded areas will stay good) 8)
Departure from Source Lake via the ski track was hard bullet ice by late day (after 5pm), not nice on the tired legs/knees.
Big crowds in the Alpental bc today (Feb 28) by way of upper gate GS traverse. Wanting to earn-my-turns, I skinned out of the upper parking (full) lot about 2pm, temp low 40 deg, light cloud cover. Ascend via the main Source Lake drainage (skiers left, thru trees) to GS bowl. Packed powder in drainage, pretty tracked out to my surprise. Upper bowl (North aspect) nice pow (wind deposit) as expected, lots of ski tracks from the Alp (slackcountry) crowd, but still much to be had. No time to dig pit, but never noticed anything alarming (eg whoomping); the warming temps perhaps helping to stabilize. Up at the saddle (and Pinapple Pass), good amount of wind deposit but pretty stable, not really corniced.
Ski down was nice, kept skiers left, trying to find untracked pow (under Hemlock & Bryant Peaks). Approaching Source Lake basin, traversed left, put skins back on and climbed up in direction of Chair Peak, E to SE aspect, as I climbed higher noticed snow had turned to pretty nasty breakable crust. This was about 5pm, getting cooler (low 30 deg) and wind picking up. SE aspect had that nasty crust (makes sense, early sun melt then late re-freeze?), as soon as I traversed back to a NE aspect, I found pow again, take that hint (yep Marcus is right... shaded areas will stay good) 8)
Departure from Source Lake via the ski track was hard bullet ice by late day (after 5pm), not nice on the tired legs/knees.
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