December 9, 2013, Mt Hood Timberline / White River

Toured from Timberline lot into the myriad moraines to the East of the ski area boundary, below white river (does this area have a name?) We toured to about 9500' before skiing back to the lot, and then down through closed timberline terrain and west leg road/alpine trail back to government camp.

Weather was sunny with winds 20g30 out of the west, with a cloud layer rolling in below us. Visible wind plumes were coming off of the summit, illumination rock, and visibly from mt jefferson miles away.

The skiing was variations on sastrugi and windslab. Easterly aspects have a solid base of kife-hard wind slab. Westerly aspects are pure shiny ice. In between is a mix of nice wind-board, some softer wind-transported snow, and very textured sastrugi.

Below 6000' in the trees, there was some sheltered soft snow, but warmer temps have largely turned this into a hooky crust or heavy glop. There is just enough snow to ski all the way back to govy on established roads/trails.

Avy: Wind transport was active everywhere above treeline, but where the snow was being transported to remains a mystery. Even usually-leeward slopes were being scoured by downslope winds. We didn't observe any new wind slabs. Cornices were growing above easterly aspects, and there was evidence of recent significant cornicefall.