Dec 13, 2012, - Tatoosh
12/13/12
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2377
1
Beautiful day! The road didn't open until almost 10 on a sunny day... yes it was a bit icy out but still seemed late. 8 inches of cold smoke above the rain crust at Narada, closer to 12 inches up top. We could hardly feel the lurking crust above the valley road, but it was more evident on Narada face.
Widespread and large surface facets were evident especially above 5k. The bond to the rain crust is quite poor, producing Q1 shears, but there was just not enough mass or cohesiveness in the powder for stability to be a big concern right now. Might change soon though with more snow.
No action shots with the cell phone, but a few scenics of a perfect day for touring:
Widespread and large surface facets were evident especially above 5k. The bond to the rain crust is quite poor, producing Q1 shears, but there was just not enough mass or cohesiveness in the powder for stability to be a big concern right now. Might change soon though with more snow.
No action shots with the cell phone, but a few scenics of a perfect day for touring: