April 22, 2006, Lichtenburg Mtn.
4/22/06
WA Stevens Pass
2254
0
Blue bird day, with great views and super skinning and skiing conditions. Great views.
We had a start just a little past 8AM with lot of frozen snow up Smith Brook Rd. and throughout our ascent which started just before the first hairpin and to the West end of the lake. As it warmed somewhat, the crust, which I suppose is around several inches thick occasionally cracked under my weight, but remained largely supportive.
The warm sun turned the climb back to the ridge (roughly a straight bolt up from the west end of the lake) into a less than fully supporting mush. Not steep though and not unexpected on these south facing slopes.
Once on the ridge the level aspects largely maintained a solid surface.
The north slopes remained bullet proof at the time of descent (1:30), depending on aspect, with the less steep slopes softening up just enough to feel good and the steeper more shaded aspects hard but wonderful. The little bit of fresh snow that fell yesterday blew into hollows and even that was fun. The free air freezing temperatures stayed well below freezing this day, I think we were lucky. As everyone knows by now all south facing aspects have slid or will continue to do so as the temperatures warm. With tomorrows expected temps, skiers will want to check on even north facing aspects. With these clear nights and days the freeze thaw cycles should do wonders for the snowpack.
The steep slopes just north of the final summit ridge have a lot of snow debris that I believe is human origin. Few if any of the many cornices on other slopes have yet released, so I am assuming that the small stuff in that one locale was due to earlier visitors. Tracks were evident today, probably from the previous day.
Alan
We had a start just a little past 8AM with lot of frozen snow up Smith Brook Rd. and throughout our ascent which started just before the first hairpin and to the West end of the lake. As it warmed somewhat, the crust, which I suppose is around several inches thick occasionally cracked under my weight, but remained largely supportive.
The warm sun turned the climb back to the ridge (roughly a straight bolt up from the west end of the lake) into a less than fully supporting mush. Not steep though and not unexpected on these south facing slopes.
Once on the ridge the level aspects largely maintained a solid surface.
The north slopes remained bullet proof at the time of descent (1:30), depending on aspect, with the less steep slopes softening up just enough to feel good and the steeper more shaded aspects hard but wonderful. The little bit of fresh snow that fell yesterday blew into hollows and even that was fun. The free air freezing temperatures stayed well below freezing this day, I think we were lucky. As everyone knows by now all south facing aspects have slid or will continue to do so as the temperatures warm. With tomorrows expected temps, skiers will want to check on even north facing aspects. With these clear nights and days the freeze thaw cycles should do wonders for the snowpack.
The steep slopes just north of the final summit ridge have a lot of snow debris that I believe is human origin. Few if any of the many cornices on other slopes have yet released, so I am assuming that the small stuff in that one locale was due to earlier visitors. Tracks were evident today, probably from the previous day.
Alan
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