Avalanche Pk/Mt/Hill(?) SNOQ 04.04.14
4/4/14
WA Snoqualmie Pass
3764
3
I was the only one in the parking lot when I got there(8:30). And the only one in the parking lot when I left.
Snoqualmie ghost town. except for one lone idiot. and the birds.
Conditions:
A lot of bottomless mush. but it skied OK. Dig your heels in, keep your toes up, and your chest right above 'em and you should be just fine. Even better on a single board I'm sure. And ski fast!
Despite a heavily saturated snow-pack, I could only get the top 4-5 inches of fresh to cohesively slide on steeper slopes. On more intensely solarized slopes, possibly more. Most slide debris witnessed rarely accumulated to more than waist deep*. But heavy. And the occasional toppled refrigerator-size cornice-chunk. Otherwise, pin-wheels.
*always good to know what's above and below you.
I thought there'd be more solidifying (overnight freezing), but this only held where shaded. Like directly under big trees. crusty. Tree skiing no good. I opted for open glades where there was more consistency to the snow.
Once you got the hang of it, conditions were fairly predictable and manageable. If venturing into questionable terrain choices, test them. Oh, and glop proof your skins. It's sticky out there.
Weather: fog, sun, snow: repeat (x4)
looking down into the Middle Fork. fun terrain, but not today.
Snoqualmie ghost town. except for one lone idiot. and the birds.
Conditions:
A lot of bottomless mush. but it skied OK. Dig your heels in, keep your toes up, and your chest right above 'em and you should be just fine. Even better on a single board I'm sure. And ski fast!
Despite a heavily saturated snow-pack, I could only get the top 4-5 inches of fresh to cohesively slide on steeper slopes. On more intensely solarized slopes, possibly more. Most slide debris witnessed rarely accumulated to more than waist deep*. But heavy. And the occasional toppled refrigerator-size cornice-chunk. Otherwise, pin-wheels.
*always good to know what's above and below you.
I thought there'd be more solidifying (overnight freezing), but this only held where shaded. Like directly under big trees. crusty. Tree skiing no good. I opted for open glades where there was more consistency to the snow.
Once you got the hang of it, conditions were fairly predictable and manageable. If venturing into questionable terrain choices, test them. Oh, and glop proof your skins. It's sticky out there.
Weather: fog, sun, snow: repeat (x4)
looking down into the Middle Fork. fun terrain, but not today.
So. Whats down just to the left on the bottom photo?
a kick-ass couloir? don't know... you want to go check it out sometime?
valuable info, thanks. and looks like some promising exploration opp's down towards the middle fork for sure.
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