Feb 8-9, 2005, On the ridge to Jolly Mtn.

2/8/05

WA Cascades East Slopes Central

2691

3

Posted by Larry_R on 2/9/06 5:37pm

On ridge leading to Jolly Mtn. yesterday there were a number cracks in the snow on the crown of the ridge where the terrain really falls away on the far side.

Here's one pic from ~ 6000 ft. elv.:

http://web3.foxinternet.net/lrobinson/pics/Ridge.jpg

Hmmmmm! :)

Somewhere I've got a pic from last year of this very place that shows that the actual rocky crest is not that far from the midpoint of the crack. On the far side is a very impressive north facing avalance chute that decends ~1400 feet.

This was only one of several similiar cracks along the ridge.

I didn't try to figure out how far down the crack went; whether it was just the surface crust or not. Didn't go out and jump up and down to see if the cornice would break either. :)

Larry

2/9/06 6:48pm

marcus

Great picture Larry -- spooky!

2/9/06 7:56pm

jersan

How is the snow conditions? We plan to ski there tommorrow...

thanks!

2/10/06 2:28am

larry_r

How is the snow conditions? We plan to ski there tommorrow...

thanks!

The usual 'the good, the bad, and the ugly'. :)
The ugly being the cat track that I hope and trust was from the monthly Snotel check. (The Washington Snow Survey Office has a special permit to operate a cat on Road 4315.) It didn't make it to the site in any case, but left 1 foot deep tracks with now frozen solid vertical walls, plus frozen chunks of snow pushed to the side.

Assume you would bypass the road in any case. The top of Jolly was glistening like a mirror in the morning sun. I'm sure it was a sheet of ice. I didn't try to find out.

Larry

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