Home > Trip Reports > January 4, 2014, Alpental

January 4, 2014, Alpental

1/4/14
WA Snoqualmie Pass
7589
8
Posted by silaswild on 1/4/14 8:06am
Bluebird weather, low wind, and 6" well bonded snow made for a great day. Even the skiing below 4500' had improved since last week. There were about 30 carloads of backcountry enthusiasts but plenty of untracked powder remains.   

King County helicopter flying around 3PM, we heard there was an avalanche in Chair Peak south basin, seemed odd to us since our snow was safe.   So many microclimate situations?  Hoping for the best.

https://vimeo.com/83407669  https://vimeo.com/83407928
Think itll be good tomorrow? Given the warm up?

I can't speak for Alpental but sunny slopes at baker were moving down to the crust layer and propogating fairly wide all day. Tomorrow will be sketch in the North.

Great day. I'd put it at 10-12" sparkly sugar @5500ft, 6"down to ~4K, and a meager 2" at the base-yet MUCH improved all around. Some evidence of wind transport and a just a few slippery spots,  but no evidence of slide activity on all aspects below 5500ft. . A little unnerving to have the Heli pacing back and forth through the valley in the afternoon.

A few from today-














Lots of people out enjoying the sunshine. Great to run into the DOF as well!

Here's a photo of the slide. We were up there around 11:30 am. We didn't see it slide. That was the only big thing we saw. Saw a few wet loose slides as it warmed up but nothing like Eckels described in the Baker environs.



Original size photo: http://mattgoyer.smugmug.com/BackcountrySkiing-1/Avy-Refresher/i-8fFBFh2/0/O/DSC00213.jpg


author=camp_fidalgo link=topic=30212.msg126483#msg126483 date=1388884543]
Think itll be good tomorrow? Given the warm up?


I'd say there's a good chance it might or might not be.

author=mattgoyer link=topic=30212.msg126500#msg126500 date=1388900624">
Local news on the search and rescue effort: Hiker caught in Alpental avalanche gets himself out


From SMR Facebook:


10 SMR members responded to an avalanche on the SE aspect of Chair Pk. this afternoon, where witnesses reported seeing the slide and others digging in the debris. We made contact with those digging, completed a search of the debris field, and made a final determination that no one had been caught in the slide. All's well that ends well.

Your dog is killing it, Mofro. Geeb too.

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january-4-2014-alpental
silaswild
2014-01-04 16:06:43