12/27 Jim Hill Mountain, Stevens Pass

3600 vertical feet was all we could manage from the Highway up to the saddle...sadly still 1500 feet or so from the top of Jim Hill Mountain.  And had we made it it would have been epic.  But it was 30 inches of epic new snow that slowed us down considerably.  And I'm not sure I would have signed up for the wind-loaded upper bowls anyway.

Rutschblock test failed on one hope on 35 degree terrain...on what felt like a facet layer 15 inches down...couldn't see for sure.  But compression test yielded no fractures.  Shovel test fractured at 15 inches...but the snow above was loose powdery and did not have any slab characteristics.  Probably would have been iffy trying to ski open and wind loaded terrain but we didn't make it that far.  overall snowpack of 36-40 inches on top of and undetermined rain soaked consolidated snow layer...  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXwHfNU-8Dg

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