Crystal Mountain Backcountry, December 6

author=Kyle Miller link=topic=18331.msg77613#msg77613 date=1291689661]
North slopes are both stable and windloaded. No sluffs. No natural avalanches.

Can you clarify? Do you mean "some north slopes are stable and some north slopes are windloaded?" Or do you mean "even if windloaded, north slopes are stable"?

author=Kyle Miller link=topic=18331.msg77613#msg77613 date=1291689661]
Watch out for these windslabs with the upcoming storm.

Do you mean "watch out for additional loading on existing wind slabs"?

I'm not nitpicking ...  I might come touring out that way ... just asking for a bit of clarification.

author=CookieMonster link=topic=18331.msg77615#msg77615 date=1291690272]
Can you clarify? Do you mean "some north slopes are stable and some north slopes are windloaded?" Or do you mean "even if windloaded, north slopes are stable"?

Do you mean "watch out for additional loading on existing wind slabs"?

I'm not nitpicking ...  I might come touring out that way ... just asking for a bit of clarification.

Even windloaded slopes are stable and watch for additional loading.

All is good ;)

So you're saying there's a chance...

My Crystal observations Sunday to late Sunday is that the strong winds have effected the snow on nearly every aspect. Especially on ridgetops with loading on lee slopes. There were very few areas that were protected from any effect. The protected areas were certain convex bowls or drainages that faced NE. Saturday we observed a couple SE nooks that were wind protected by ridgetops, but for the most part even W or SW slopes had some wind effect.
The wind effect was hit and miss on the N-NE slopes from 6000 ft to 4500 ft, quite variable with slabs ranging from 6" deep and fully supportable, to skiable powder with variations of snow resistance from wind. Even deep in the trees and low 5000 ft E facing treed slopes there was plenty of plywood powder. Enough to make us safe ski down well treed slopes to avoid terrain traps.
I suspect that the recent warming will help to stabilize this layer. Who knows how quickly. But the wind effected snow was overlaying a low density snowpack that could become problematic if loaded quickly with heavy cascade concrete. I'm glad I got to see it so I can inventory the locations of the variations.

author=Joedabaker link=topic=18331.msg77652#msg77652 date=1291738411]
I'm glad I got to see it so I can inventory the locations of the variations.

So we were doing an INVENTORY? I knew there had to be some other reason you dragged me down there because it wasn't the good snow. ;)
BTW, your caber tossing technique needs work. ;)

author=Scotsman link=topic=18331.msg77658#msg77658 date=1291741798]
So we were doing an INVENTORY? I knew there had to be some other reason you dragged me down there because it wasn't the good snow. ;)
BTW, your caber tossing technique needs work. ;)

You are the Caber toss master for the midweight division.
A bit of a triathlon it was.
I thought you would enjoy an early season vegetation belay, mixed with sidestepping a 40 degree rockface with 4 inches of snow on it. Every condition possible, finished with boomerang branch throws and a schooling in caber tossing.