Feb 17, 2011, Kendall Area

Pico, Jake, and I hit a few of different aspects around Kendall Peak Lakes today. Almost goes without saying that all were excellent!   I enjoy the approach a diagonalling out of the Pacific Crest Trail parking lot on the PCT to a rising traverse to the road below the Kendall stump.  Descend the road 150 vertical or so toward Coal creek and then up gentle terrain up all the way past the three lakes to the Kendall Ridge line without hardly a switchback (OK about a half dozen).   Except for where we skied out in the uptrack, this should be a nice skin track for followers.
On later skin tracks we tried to skin back up in our ski tracks until it got too steep and then tried to avoid the ski lines and practiced the best slope conservation our ski ability would allow.  Lots of fresh still to be had.

We found very safe 8" to 10" uncohesive powder over powder of increasing density with depth.  Crust on northern aspects was buried over 18" deep.  Less on east and south aspects but plenty deep even in the open subalpine forest.  We started conservatively on the slopes above the Kendall Peak Lakes, tested some steeper stuff with ski cuts and tug tests.  Very non wind affected and very stable.  Even on 38 to 40 degree slopes on a north aspect that we thought might have some windloading near the ridgecrest, sluffs of the new snow would hardly propagate and grow.  Just an incredible day overall and kept our enthusiasm for 4 runs total.  By the time we returned to the lower clearcut direct sun had lightly crusted the snow below 4000ft.  The frozen death chunks on the icy old growth forest floor was tough to ski but when we hit the PCT is was an exciting low gradient luge run to Exit 52 overpass.  Such an incredible day, thanks gents!