1/3 - Kendall Peak Lakes

Two of us had the day off and headed out from the exit 54 cabins up Kendall Knob in low visibility.  From there we took Kendall Ridge toward the lakes and found the top of the ridge somewhat scoured by the south winds.  We decided to forego the upper, more open slopes in favor of the lower, narrower slopes and dug a pit on a ~32 degree slope facing the lakes.  Pit revealed a thin frozen layer about 2 1/2 feet down.  Compression test failed on that layer with taps from the shoulder.  We also did a Rutschblock, which failed with one hard jump, again on that layer.  Given that the slope wasn't wind-loaded, we decided to ski the margins of the open slopes down to the lake, and we enjoyed excellent conditions with deepening powder at the lower, less wind-exposed slopes. 

As a bonus, the ski out of the Gold Creek drainage and the lower part of Kendall Knob was also excellent, with several small, thinly treed slopes containing short bursts of even deeper powder. 

A great day with excellent conditions and moderate stability on the slopes we skied, but with so much snow and wind, it paid to be cautious and conservative.