Jan 1, 2008, Alpental BC
1/1/08
WA Snoqualmie Pass
1304
0
Grant and I had mixed expectations for skiing with warm temps down low and winds forecast.
The Alpental patrol manager said there were climax avy conditions and a "rain event" is needed to lessen the hazard.
But it was snowing lightly the whole way up the trail from the upper lot to Source Lake, and
we followed a 2-day old skin track up the big trees through two small drainages toward Pineapple Basin.
Dug a pit on a 30 deg. N slope at 4500' right where the trees ended and the angle flattened, and found hardly any layering all the way down to the rain crust at 5'. Compression test showed only a vague weakness at 1' with full-arm blows. Since our climbing line had been impacted a lot by snow falling off trees and was sheltered, we skied from the edge of the basin in the trees twice, and another one on the edge of the open slope skiers' right.
Hopefully Grant will have some photos to post. :) Fine day with all manner of crud to ski. Lots of snow out there....
The Alpental patrol manager said there were climax avy conditions and a "rain event" is needed to lessen the hazard.
But it was snowing lightly the whole way up the trail from the upper lot to Source Lake, and
we followed a 2-day old skin track up the big trees through two small drainages toward Pineapple Basin.
Dug a pit on a 30 deg. N slope at 4500' right where the trees ended and the angle flattened, and found hardly any layering all the way down to the rain crust at 5'. Compression test showed only a vague weakness at 1' with full-arm blows. Since our climbing line had been impacted a lot by snow falling off trees and was sheltered, we skied from the edge of the basin in the trees twice, and another one on the edge of the open slope skiers' right.
Hopefully Grant will have some photos to post. :) Fine day with all manner of crud to ski. Lots of snow out there....
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