Jan 22, 2017, Paradise Mazama ridge.

Evidence of good mid-week cleansing cycle all over.  We had variable snow in back bowl, ranging from scoured, non-breakable crust to 4" of buttery goods (wind transported) below north-facing slopes.  Some isolated E-SE facing slopes displayed well consolidated soft slab formation, giving out on steeper terrain (<38*), poorly bonded to crust layer underneath.  Signs of shooting cracks and propagation were evident on these faces, and larger slopes of similar aspect would have been suspect.  Only alarming findings of the day.  Trees held lightly dusted "elephant snot" while more open glades provided some areas for a bit of hollering to be heard.  About 2:30-3:00 clouds moved in and some dense flakes began to fall (5400~).  We experienced warm temps, but we stuck to right around Mazama Ridge, not climbing much higher than 6000', so the snow may have been colder higher up.

Thanks for reaffirming our decision to not visit the back bowl . Most all of skiing was in tree sheltered west slopes.

We went yesterday (23rd). What a mess!  Not just tracked out Bundy's Blunder and weird downtracks on the front of Mazma Ridge and on 9-1-1 (perhaps reflecting variable snow), but uptracks!  Ski uptracks and snowhoe uptracks in every direction; each party deigning to conserve snow by using an existing track.  At one point, 4 parallel close-together tracks across the lower front of Mazama then 2 deep trenches across the upper front of Mazama over the best down ski areas and then meandering illogical ill-conceived snowshoe up tracks everywhere.  Uptracks up every gully.  Vogtski described the main uptrack as "urban" recreationists who after driving 75 miles to get to Mt. R, are is such a hurry that they take the steepest most arduious lines up.  The population bomb has exploded.

But of course, once we got out of the "new front country" we found few tracks, great scenery, nice sunshine, and the most rotten difficult annoying powder snow that was so nice to ski--where was that?  Somwhere towards Mt. Tahoma.

Going back this morning, only further, and higher, and we will slaughter the two remaining prestine runs on the front of  Mazama.

We observed a large group participating in some type of avalanche/snow safety class posted up below golden gate around 5500' perhaps they were responsible for some of the excessive tracks and trenches?