Home > Trip Reports > 11-14-2009, Source Lake, Alpental Valley

11-14-2009, Source Lake, Alpental Valley

11/14/09
WA Snoqualmie Pass
3713
4
Posted by cmosetick on 11/15/09 1:15am
Skinned out to Source Lake today and started following a nice skin track that headed into the Great Scott Bowl.  The lake had a frosty layer on it and a significant amount of snow, but has a long ways to go before it's totally covered.  The snow coverage on the way out to the lake was questionably thin in places, with a few not so fun creek crossings, but was still doable on skis.  The trail out to the lake has many tight twists and turns right now because it's been put in by the snow shoe crowd and like I said, coverage is thin in places.  With an afternoon start, I didn't have a full day to explore above the lake or the bowl, but the snow quality was superb.  If you can give yourself double the amount of time it would normally take to get to the lake and back, anywhere else you visit in the higher elevations will be worth it. ...Assuming there is not too much rain anytime soon.  I saw three skiers returning to the lot when I was heading out to the lake.  Sorry there are no photos, but it was a beautiful day out!!
Good solo short, Chris.  Check your PM.

That was likey us (Andrew, Greg and myself) skinning out that you passed Mosetick. Departed lot at about 9:30AM, we followed a lone snowshoe track in setting a skin track to Source Lake (SL), like mentioned it is not the optimal ski "exit" track... and yes way too many creek crossings and ups-downs, but too lazy to set the correct track  :-[

From SL we headed up the avalanche slopes up to the ridge looking down on Snow Lake. Overall snow coverage is decent, but boulders and tree tops still exposed. Finding the best up line a bit tricky thru the trees on that S-SE face to the ridge. Snow quality (despire much unexpected sun today) remained powder and dry, never getting boggy. Opted not to drop down to Snow Lake, didn't look worth it with the coverage, so we skirted back around to the avy slopes (SE facing) for a descent back down gettin a few turns in, but more concerned about sustaining speed at bottom for the ski out. We managed to get a bit past SL but had to skin out from there. Suprised to see only a couple other skiers the entire day for a Sat. Probably all up at Stevens, perhaps we should have also, but I was curious on Alpental conditions not seeing any TRs.

From across the valley, Great Scott bowl looks like it was filling in nicely but the basin showing exposed boulders and under Chair Peak looked like a nice open snow, sorry no pics.

Quick compression test @ 4450', N aspect, CT6 found faceted snow, buried hoar (Q1-2) at approx 8".

Glad you two had some fun out there!  I too had wondered why reports might be absent from the Alpental area.  However, my main reason for being out there was to try to "break in" new boots I picked up over the summer.  On my my last trip with them they spent more time on my backpack than on my feet!!  ;)  The amazingly horizontal skin out to the lake and back has broken them in for sure.

>>Quick compression test @ 4450', N aspect, CT6 found faceted snow, buried hoar (Q1-2) at approx 8".

Curious ( if you remember any extra details ):

How did you identify the faceted snow?
How did you identify the hoar?
What hardness was the slab on which you performed the compression test?
Did you find faceted snow and buried hoar at the same place?

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11-14-2009-source-lake-alpental-valley
cmosetick
2009-11-15 09:15:34