December 8, 2013, Artist Point and beyond

A really fun day with Susan poking around to see what the Baker area looks like when you can actually see. Rambled about near Artist Point, partway around Table, then a little ways out Ptarmigan Ridge.

Snow was quite spatially-variable. Best snow was at lower elevations, sheltered from the wind; boot-top, cold and light. Most of our best turns were right beside the road at Artist Point; the rest of the day's exploration didn't find anything else consistently that good. Anywhere above treeline was a mixed bag including settled powder, breakable/unbreakable raincrust, wind forms, and more. Winds had returned to the surface what we surmised to be the rain crust in many locations and built windpack/windslab in others. We got one notable whumph out of a low-angle windslab on the NW side of the SW spur of Table. Windslabs were thin (~3-4"), pencil-hard atop 6+" of 4F/fist, and often supportable on skis. Seemed like the missing ingredient was a weak layer.

It was cold-enough that suncrusts didn't want to form, despite the clear skies and welcome sunlight.  Very fine (<1 mm) hoar in many  places. ~3-4 mm SH on the broad top of Ptarmigan Ridge.

Pretty place, and a great day.