Nov 16 Crystal
11/16/13
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
2233
3
Got a nice alpine start to the day (1:30pm). Since a big trip wasn't on the menu, I headed to Crystal to poach some turns. Quickly skinned up past Quicksilver and Miners' lakes and lapped an unnamed(?) ridge. Found 6-8" of nice sugary pow over a crusty, icy base on leeward slopes. Winds picked up late in the day, and scoured windward (S & SW) faces pretty good. The ski down was...exciting. Lots of hidden rocks and shrubbery waiting under a deceptively thin base for the unwary.
Good report. Did you notice any wind slab formation on the N/NE aspects, or any slab releases anywhere?
On the other side of the valley there was some wind transported slabby snow on SW face. Not cohesive at all though as the snowpack was about 6-8" total.
Don't recommend it until the snowpack is deeper, unless you're into sacrificing ptex and edge material to Ullr.
Don't recommend it until the snowpack is deeper, unless you're into sacrificing ptex and edge material to Ullr.
author=r1de link=topic=29631.msg124318#msg124318 date=1384670906]
Good report. Did you notice any wind slab formation on the N/NE aspects, or any slab releases anywhere?
None that I could appreciate
author=MattT link=topic=29631.msg124364#msg124364 date=1384740972]
Don't recommend it until the snowpack is deeper, unless you're into sacrificing ptex and edge material to Ullr.
Word
Also, I just noticed that freebird lapped the exact same ridge I did, so see his post for A/V aids ;)
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