March 26, 2010, Mt. Baker, Swift/Blueberry

Went up to Baker yesterday to try out my new Dynafit setup (Thanks again JimH!) and check out the new snow.  NWAC was about right with 10" of reasonably heavy new snow at the upper lot.  Met up with Johnny Utah and three other Cali splitters who were in town for a splitboard convention at Baker this weekend.  We toured out the ridge above Swift Creek for our first run, knowing visibility would be better over there.  The snow was good down Swift Creek, albeit heavy. 

Hoping the vis had improved enough to make a run down the Blueberry Chutes worthwhile, we headed that way.  We were wrong; visibility was terrible.  Additionally, I set off a small avalanche at the top of the chute.  Probably a 14-18" crown that didn't run very far.  It was on a small convex part of the slope that I could really see in the flat light.  In hindsight, given the visibility, and nature of the terrain there, it probably would been advisable to ski down and around the way we came.  Stability seemed to improve thte rest of the way, as the slope angle mellowed out.

I called it a day after that run, as temps were warming and I needed to get to Seattle.  With rising temps forecast for today, be careful out there!