December 27, 2015, Snoqualmie Pass
12/27/15
WA Snoqualmie Pass
2947
3
More of the same today; open sheltered slopes skied well and fast, no instability noted. Textbook settlement cones everywhere. Tree skiing quality is getting degraded by tree bombs.
Stout easterly flow built stiff ridgetop windslab on west slopes. Slab formation was confined to the immediate ridgetop.
As today's new snow rolled in, the early snowfall was beautiful stellars, the nicest I can recall.
Got down early, headed to Alpy for a few laps. Chalky fun skiing. Nash entrance has negotiable rocks. Stout west wind on Chair 1. Go figure.
Stout easterly flow built stiff ridgetop windslab on west slopes. Slab formation was confined to the immediate ridgetop.
As today's new snow rolled in, the early snowfall was beautiful stellars, the nicest I can recall.
Got down early, headed to Alpy for a few laps. Chalky fun skiing. Nash entrance has negotiable rocks. Stout west wind on Chair 1. Go figure.
We were in the Commonwealth vicinity, up to ~5000' and found settled stable pow on all aspects traveled.
Our lap and a half in Kendall trees was quite nice. Quit early due to another holiday party.
I was with Kamtron. Around 4,500 on sheltered NE slopes we observed around 250cm of settled total snow. Shovel shear test showed some planar interfaces between storm snow layers in top 100cm, but in all we found good stability.
At our location we had calm winds and didn't note many cornices or wind slabs, but "loose-dry" snow slides combined with serious tree wells, trees shedding their snow load, deep open creek holes, and bergschrund-like hollows below cliff bands all still pose significant hazard.
At our location we had calm winds and didn't note many cornices or wind slabs, but "loose-dry" snow slides combined with serious tree wells, trees shedding their snow load, deep open creek holes, and bergschrund-like hollows below cliff bands all still pose significant hazard.
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