March 5, 2017, Snoqualmie Pass
3/5/17
WA Snoqualmie Pass
2584
1
Our number of potential partners began at 2, then 4, 6, 4, 3, and, thanks to a sadistic storage unit, back to two by the time Susan and I arrived at the pass. The plan was the high hunt for sheltered pow.
Our plan turned lucky when the forecast of a 1k freezing level with light to moderate snow became full sun and warm temps, even up high; not only was the planned pow sheltered, it was shady. The ubiquitous crust present 15-20 cm down at pass level finally began to disappear above 4.7k, higher than we'd hoped. Sunny views pulled us upward until there was no more up to be found. Sunny west aspects above 5k were just beginning to feel the impact of the sun when we descended a little after 1.
Clouds rolled in once and dropped a smattering of the largest graupel we've seen, up to 5mm in diameter; there wasn't a lot of it, less than one uniform layer of graupel, but it did pool around trees and in low spots. The dry surface snow was light enough that the graupel made tiny impact craters and embedded itself below the surface (see last photo). Graupeled a little more as we packed up the car at 3pm.
We tempted the windslab dragon just a bit, but not much, and found none. Top 10-15 cm ran easily as loose dry on steepest shady slopes. Slight slabbiness in the storm snow up high (we'd ruled out much of the most-tempting terrain steep enough to slide, so it's unsurprising that we felt no activity).
Ski quality up high was excellent, becoming palpably crusty below 4k.
Suncrusts were beginning to form on steep solar aspects as we left; it's time to shift to the Springtime shady spots for pow.
Our plan turned lucky when the forecast of a 1k freezing level with light to moderate snow became full sun and warm temps, even up high; not only was the planned pow sheltered, it was shady. The ubiquitous crust present 15-20 cm down at pass level finally began to disappear above 4.7k, higher than we'd hoped. Sunny views pulled us upward until there was no more up to be found. Sunny west aspects above 5k were just beginning to feel the impact of the sun when we descended a little after 1.
Clouds rolled in once and dropped a smattering of the largest graupel we've seen, up to 5mm in diameter; there wasn't a lot of it, less than one uniform layer of graupel, but it did pool around trees and in low spots. The dry surface snow was light enough that the graupel made tiny impact craters and embedded itself below the surface (see last photo). Graupeled a little more as we packed up the car at 3pm.
We tempted the windslab dragon just a bit, but not much, and found none. Top 10-15 cm ran easily as loose dry on steepest shady slopes. Slight slabbiness in the storm snow up high (we'd ruled out much of the most-tempting terrain steep enough to slide, so it's unsurprising that we felt no activity).
Ski quality up high was excellent, becoming palpably crusty below 4k.
Suncrusts were beginning to form on steep solar aspects as we left; it's time to shift to the Springtime shady spots for pow.
