December 26, 2004, Mt. Baker Backcountry

Telemetry, the ski area and I all agreed: 20 inches of heavy powder since yesterday.  The ski area overflow parking lot was packed by 10:30, but the backcountry was less crowded than it has been recently, with a few groups of two or three scattered here and there (it is possible that this had something to do with the arduous trailbreaking).  I skied all aspects between 4100 and 5700 feet, finding no particular advantage in any; higher elevations and wind-sheltered terrain yielded superior snow no matter which direction it faced.  Visibility came and went but was generally pretty good, and when I finally returned to the car around 5:00 I could still, to some limited extent, see.  

The skiing itself ranged from reasonable to very, very nice, with lots of variation from one split-second to the next.  I was reminded--repeatedly--that so much dense snow tends to punish failures of technique without mercy.  Fat skis certainly would have helped...as would balance, poise and/or dignity.

Temperature variations and what must have been howling winds during the storm left a lot of variety in the snowpack, ranging from deep, unconsolidated powder through styrofoam windbuff to bright, shiny raincrust.  The storm came in warm and wet, so the fresh snow bonded nicely to the base, and although slabby it didn't seem to be propagating or releasing.  I did get clean shears on unsupported rolls in well in excess of 45 degrees steepness, but such places are not a serious concern to skiers of my timidity.  It is worth noting that, while all seemed stable to me, another TAY poster reported some patchy whumphing, of undetermined origin.  

Also noted:  there is more snow in the forecast later this week.  

Enjoy,

Mark