March 25, 2018, Snoqualmie Pass

A relaxed trip on a pretty day.

Ski crampons kept the Commonwealth luge track relaxed. One might actually have been able to support a luge on the track's surface this morning; ski crampons bit, but held the ski off the snow. We left 'em on all the way up, as crust lurked beneath the new. Didn't use them on the second lap.

We found less new snow on the ground than expected; the trees took their cut first. The raincrust is loud but edgeable, with 5-25 cm of dry spring powder atop. Open slopes held the best (and deepest) skiing. We avoided sunny slopes, but those we touched did seem to have gotten heavy in the sunshine.

Instability: Nothing moved for us. Sluffs were willing to run on steepest slopes, perhaps especially in the shade. It was a pleasant surprise to find that the small slide (storm layer?) visible from Summit West in the middle of Kendall's west face appeared to be a natural.