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Apr 12 - Snoqualmie Pass area

4/15/08
WA Snoqualmie Pass
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2
Posted by PetefromBoston on 4/12/08 4:52am
Due to the avalanche hazard being too high for my comfort level, we canxed our Fri & Sat two day ski trip and because of the overnight MODERATE forecast decided to do a nighttime Snow Lake hike. 
The NWAC forecast was dead-on.  Over half of the sun exposed S facing slopes had slid during the day.  They all appeared (from my amateur point of view) to be point release wet slides.  Some small and some massive.  One in particular at the base was at least two football fields wide - probably more like 2 1/2 - with "snowballs" slightly over head high in the runout.  I don't know if this was multiple slides or one, but probably 90% of the slope had slid before we got there.  The odd thing was it wasn't a terribly steep slope, ~25deg on the inclinometer. (If my camera hadn't died I'd have up a few pics, sorry).  Either way we stayed in the trees on the flattest possible terrain.
Overnight they seemed stable, but we tried to avoid ones that hadn't slid yet.  Heard a few avalanches overnight and awoke at dawn to a slightly thicker crust than there was when we hiked out (12ish).  Anyway, we hurried up out of there before the sun could hit the W facing slopes.  On the hike out, sun exposed slopes (any aspect) were sliding.
Sorry - it's not a ski report - but hopefully useful nonetheless.
Thanks for the report - it's good to know that the snow's doing what's expected.

I thought the snow went beddy-bye @ night.

Reply to this TR

5039
apr-12-snoqualmie-pass-area
PetefromBoston
2008-04-12 11:52:20