December 4, 2010, Snoqualmie Pass

Headed up mid-morning to the pass with the intent to explore a ridge route I've always been curious about. One look at the clouds streaming westward off every summit convinced me to head to sheltered haunts out of the wind.

Travel in the backcountry is passable now in the forests, but another meter of snow would make things much more efficient and skiing more fun. Above 4.5k, skiing was middling to excellent. Below was surprisingly poor, except in deep dark shade.

Instability: Nothing notable moved. Stiff winds from the E were windloading traditionally lee slopes. Got a few tiny settlements on thin windslab in trees, but propagation was never beyond my skis.

Snow: Surface hoar to 1/4" growing at all elevations from pass level to 5k+ and on every aspect I visited (mostly N-W-S). The rain crust from last week is dissolving, even at pass level. Sunny aspects below 4.5k developed an unpleasant soft breakable crust with refreeze in late afternoon. Treebombs at any elevation mucked up the skiing. Above 4.5k, NW-facing totally sheltered and shady snow was knee deep and great. Traditionally windward (W-facing) open shady slopes had an unexpected supportable layer about 6" down that spooked me into conservatism.

Near the crest,, I found the biggest free-standing dendrites I've ever seen flocking the skirts of snow ghosts. Some were ~2.5" long. Above 4k, snow is clinging to the trees in a way I'm not used to seeing. It's solid, styrofoamy and tenacious. Below 4k, the shapes are similar, but a light tap with a pole elicits immediate fracture. Also, as can be seen in the first photo below, younger (0-15 yrs) trees are bending so much from the snow load that the initial snow ghost is horizontal or occasionally inverted.