Home > Trip Reports > Dec 13, 2012, Kendall trees

Dec 13, 2012, Kendall trees

12/13/12
WA Snoqualmie Pass
3179
4
Posted by Jim_Clement on 12/13/12 10:19am
The route in was a bit difficult to follow. Many stream beds were open and we had to take off our skis twice. At the top of the trees we dug a hasty pit and found 8" of very low density fresh snow with early surface hoar, on top of a 1" brittle but smooth rain crust, on top of about 30" of smoothly increasingly dense snow, all on top of a very thick and dense maybe 6" rain crust presumably from Thanksgiving. Wrist, elbow, and shoulder taps on the column produced no shears. Prying the column produced a high quality shear on a layer I couldn't feel at the midpoint of the 30" of old snow. The newest rain crust is quite smooth and the new snow isn't bonding at all. Snow depth at 5,000' was about 68".

Up high the skiing was great, pushing the new snow around on the supporting crust. Further down the crust weakened, lots of tree bombs, lots of doghair. The luge run out was sporting. With another few feet of snow the whole run will be in shape.
Thanks for the beta.

Nice one, Jim. We were just up the road and had a great day as well. Even kept my breakfast down, more than I can say for last week!

The whole week?! Sorry, dude...

No, I meant last Thursday - I was OK the next day!

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10436
dec-13-2012-kendall-trees
Jim_Clement
2012-12-13 18:19:30