Feb 23, 2014, Stevens Nordic Mill/Lanham Cr trees
2/23/14
WA Stevens Pass
3249
3
First off, snow was "Oh-My-God" incredible from top to bottom, 6000 to 3000 feet. Face shots abounded in steep open trees. Don't really need to narrow the location, just find a treed slope behind Stevens Nordic on any aspect and it will satisfy wonderfully.
Interesting observations:
--Snowed 10 to 15 centimeters in the 6 hours we were out.
--A big natural avalanche slid less than 3 or 4 days prior (debris had less than 15 inches new snow on it) in a historical path on a NW slope. Could not see crown due to low clouds but I'd guess 1200 to 1500 vertical fall, R4, D4 judging by the fifty or so 12" to 18" diameter fir trees it knocked over. Where we once used mature forest to safely skirt the run out of this path, is now a longer, larger run out!
--Dug one CT: 5800ft, 35 degree slope, NW Aspect, CT9 at 15cm storm snow interface. Below the failure interface we found approx. 20cm fist hard older storm snow bonded to 40cm or so stiff, 4 finger old snow/windslab.
--The storm snow interface sluffed at will on rolls, convexities, and anything over 35 degrees. 15 cm deep interface became 30 cm deep by the time we left from the nearly 1" per hour snowfall rate while we were there!
--Ski cuts produced sluffs of rapidly increasing speed that could run an entire slope distance. However, they never stepped down to entrain any deeper snow. Successive ski cutting of the next layer older snow by the 2nd person produced no results. (much like our CT when we tested the lower layers after the storm snow interface failed)
--A 500 foot vertical, 35 degree gully, that we like to ski in safer conditions looked great going in. Coming out 3 hours later it had slid naturally the full 500 feet. Yet it only took the uppermost storm snow with it, never stepping down. Debris pile thus was surprisingly small. Could not see crown due to fog, unfortunately.
We're still hesitant to getting on anything big and open, or consistently steep long runs.
Did I mention the skiing was incredible in light fluffy new snow?
More pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/sets/72157641440353343/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99999107@N07/sets/72157641442698193/with/12739210203/
Interesting observations:
--Snowed 10 to 15 centimeters in the 6 hours we were out.
--A big natural avalanche slid less than 3 or 4 days prior (debris had less than 15 inches new snow on it) in a historical path on a NW slope. Could not see crown due to low clouds but I'd guess 1200 to 1500 vertical fall, R4, D4 judging by the fifty or so 12" to 18" diameter fir trees it knocked over. Where we once used mature forest to safely skirt the run out of this path, is now a longer, larger run out!
--Dug one CT: 5800ft, 35 degree slope, NW Aspect, CT9 at 15cm storm snow interface. Below the failure interface we found approx. 20cm fist hard older storm snow bonded to 40cm or so stiff, 4 finger old snow/windslab.
--The storm snow interface sluffed at will on rolls, convexities, and anything over 35 degrees. 15 cm deep interface became 30 cm deep by the time we left from the nearly 1" per hour snowfall rate while we were there!
--Ski cuts produced sluffs of rapidly increasing speed that could run an entire slope distance. However, they never stepped down to entrain any deeper snow. Successive ski cutting of the next layer older snow by the 2nd person produced no results. (much like our CT when we tested the lower layers after the storm snow interface failed)
--A 500 foot vertical, 35 degree gully, that we like to ski in safer conditions looked great going in. Coming out 3 hours later it had slid naturally the full 500 feet. Yet it only took the uppermost storm snow with it, never stepping down. Debris pile thus was surprisingly small. Could not see crown due to fog, unfortunately.
We're still hesitant to getting on anything big and open, or consistently steep long runs.
Did I mention the skiing was incredible in light fluffy new snow?
More pics:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/sets/72157641440353343/
http://www.flickr.com/photos/99999107@N07/sets/72157641442698193/with/12739210203/
Dang that looks nice.
Beauty - Gotta love big trees.
Nice one. I've heard the legends of the trees in stevens. I'll have to get out there some day. Thanks for the detail on the report. As always, fun to check out your photo stream on flickr.
Reply to this TR
Please login first: