May 13 East Peak

With Friday looking like the best day of the weekend, boot packed up East Peak this morning.  Wandered over towards Norse Peak and observed lots of slide activity in Scout and Cement Basin with lots of cornices on lee slopes.  Started from parking lot at 8 am, snow was firm nearly to top of East Peak, able to boot pack easily (firm enough early morning that I was thinking I should have brought crampons)  By the time I had some lunch and started down the snow was excellent corn, although it was getting soft by the time I hit the ski area again.  Off the slopes by 1:30

Maybe 2 hours transition time from firm to soft on the south and southwest slopes.  The few north slopes I skied stayed firm before lunch.  Colder and windier on top than expected, wind from the east and southeast.

Note the big slide on the right side of second photo.  It went all the way to the ground and extends from the top of the ridge (approximately Left-Angle entry) with a headwall big enough to be visible from across the valley,  to a wide fan of mixed dirt and trees, ending well below the I-5 trail, doesn't break thru the trees to the road though. 

Slides, most from point starts, and rollers were visible on nearly every aspect and cornices along every ridge line.  Several slides covered about a 1/4 mile of the normal Bullion Basin trail.