December 16, 2017, Snoqualmie Pass
12/16/17
WA Snoqualmie Pass
3028
4
Nice rambly day that substantially exceeded low expectations.
Snow: Light showers/flurries most of the day. Snow below 4k was fluffy but sticky-enough to require re-waxing our skins. 10+cm of new at all elevations, deeper higher. Looks like at least some of the surface hoar present in the same location last Saturday got buried intact; surprisingly difficult to trigger, though. The bond to the edgeable suncrust on solar slopes was weak but good enough to support skinning.
Avalanche: Hit every aspect but east on slopes above 30 degrees at elevations above 4600'. Sluffs ran in the new snow, but nothing propagating, which was a surprise. NWAC forecast seemed right on, except that at our one ridgetop, windslab formation was extremely limited. More loading is apt to increase instability.
Skiing: Good in the open, mediocre/poor in the trees.
Snow: Light showers/flurries most of the day. Snow below 4k was fluffy but sticky-enough to require re-waxing our skins. 10+cm of new at all elevations, deeper higher. Looks like at least some of the surface hoar present in the same location last Saturday got buried intact; surprisingly difficult to trigger, though. The bond to the edgeable suncrust on solar slopes was weak but good enough to support skinning.
Avalanche: Hit every aspect but east on slopes above 30 degrees at elevations above 4600'. Sluffs ran in the new snow, but nothing propagating, which was a surprise. NWAC forecast seemed right on, except that at our one ridgetop, windslab formation was extremely limited. More loading is apt to increase instability.
Skiing: Good in the open, mediocre/poor in the trees.
We had very similar conditions on the 16th. Skied out into Kendall AZ. Did have one skier triggered windslab release on us in the left side of the twins couloirs; 15cm deep and propagated wall to wall (Approx 6 meters).
Impressed to see you found the only forecasted hazard, congrats.
I think the hazard was ridge top or near shallow wind slab on all but N and NE slopes with a mod rating? Correct me if my memory doesn't serve. We tip toed into it. Not a lot of evidence of wind loading. Close aspect was stable. I'd skied it a week before and was pretty confident that if it released it would be on one specific convexity. Carefully cut the top very slowly. It did release at the roll and it went with slough.
I felt ok about the event, but it was also a good wake up call not to put myself in those scenarios. The AZ is a pretty isolated area and I know wind can whip through there while it's call on the other side. However, I'm not sure my decision process was crazy. So to your comment, touché. Bruised egos over incidents.
I felt ok about the event, but it was also a good wake up call not to put myself in those scenarios. The AZ is a pretty isolated area and I know wind can whip through there while it's call on the other side. However, I'm not sure my decision process was crazy. So to your comment, touché. Bruised egos over incidents.
The question is not the decision making process, just the terrain choice. Steep, north facing couloirs were the bullseye for the forecast and Moderate specifically states'Heightened Avalanche Conditions on specific terrain....' which then requires the user to identify that terrain on a map so it can be avoided.
Managing hazard in terrain features such as the KAZ breeds false confidence since the consequences of a ride are significant. Similar stories ended poorly so I am glad all you suffered was a bruised ego.
Managing hazard in terrain features such as the KAZ breeds false confidence since the consequences of a ride are significant. Similar stories ended poorly so I am glad all you suffered was a bruised ego.
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