February 10, 2018, Paradise
2/10/18
WA Cascades West Slopes South (Mt Rainier)
1307
0
A fun day rambling around with some of the Washington Alpine Club's Backcountry Class students. We went no higher in elevation than Glacier Vista, but found plenty of views and turns. Whole lotta people at Paradise today -- the on-time gate opening was kind of epic; rangers did a great job organizing parking.
Snow: ~2cm dust on edgeable crust. Snow surface was runneled but otherwise smooth, making for enjoyable surfy turns, especially on low-angle slopes. Crust edgeability and the dust/crust bond both exceeded our low expectations.
Weather: Beautiful and sunny in the morning, increasing clouds, light flurries at Paradise around 3pm, clear above. Heading home, the mountain stood proud in the sunset.
Avalanches: Locked up. Nothing moving that we saw -- scattered evidence of recent wet slides. Perhaps a little bit of loose wet on steepest solar slopes.
Creeks: Far more open than usual. Normally trivial movement across the Paradise River involved a little consternation and a narrow snowbridge.
Snow: ~2cm dust on edgeable crust. Snow surface was runneled but otherwise smooth, making for enjoyable surfy turns, especially on low-angle slopes. Crust edgeability and the dust/crust bond both exceeded our low expectations.
Weather: Beautiful and sunny in the morning, increasing clouds, light flurries at Paradise around 3pm, clear above. Heading home, the mountain stood proud in the sunset.
Avalanches: Locked up. Nothing moving that we saw -- scattered evidence of recent wet slides. Perhaps a little bit of loose wet on steepest solar slopes.
Creeks: Far more open than usual. Normally trivial movement across the Paradise River involved a little consternation and a narrow snowbridge.
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